A Strange Lestrange
by WitchIce11
Summary: "GRYFFINDOR!" No one spoke, no one breathed, no one moved, because Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter had just been sorted into Gryffindor. James SP/OC Dom W/OC
1. Hogwarts

**AN: Bellatrix is still alive. Except for that, most things are cannon.**

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><p><strong>Smile at a stranger. See what happens.<strong>

**- Patti Lupone**

"No," the girl refused, slowly backing away towards the door, "no, I refuse to go."

"Grace," Draco Malafoy sighed, running his hands through his blond hair in frustration, "Grace, you have to."

He flicked his wand, locking the door, and conjured up a chair for his young cousin.

"Look, I know this is going to be difficult for you but-"

"Difficult?" she seethed. "Difficult? I am Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange's daughter. This is going to be more than just difficult."

"I appreciate that but-"

"I don't see why I have to attend Hogwarts. I am perfectly fine with Astoria's lessons, and I managed outstandings in all my OWLS." Grace Lestrange crossed her arms and glared at her cousin.

Draco flinched as he looked into the cold, grey eyes of the sixteen year old girl, and found his aunt glaring back at him. She mirrored Bella in her looks, but her cool demeanor resembled neither her mother, who seemed to communicate only by yelling madly, nor her father, who used to speak constantly, although he rarely ever had anything intelligent to say.

"I know, but you can't pass your NEWTS without going to school, authorities won't allow it." He spoke gently, but it had no effect on her stubborness.

Grace snorted. "You're Draco Malafoy. You have money, power, authority, and you can't do anything?"

"You know it doesn't work like that. Not anymore."

"Fine." She shrugged.

Draco looked up in surprise. "You'll go?"

"No, I'm going to run away."

He sighed again. "Grace, please. Its just one year, and then you're free to do whatever you like. I promise. You'll have to leave someday. You can't stay here forever, as much as I would like you to. You're wasting your life away."

Draco visibly relaxed as she considered it. "It would be beneficial to my future," she said thoughtfully.

He nodded. "Yes, it would. You can't become an auror without attending school, as you need to practice dueling amongst your peers. The same goes for other professions."

Plenty had changed in the education system after after the war. There were less textbooks, and more focus on teamwork and action.

Draco could almost see her mind working, systematically leafing through the pros and cons.

To his surprise and relief, she nodded.

"I will go."

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><p>Grace walked stiffly between Scorpius Malafoy and her aunt Narcissa, trying her best to ignore the latter's praises of Hogwarts and reassurances that she would have the "time of her life."<p>

"They were certainly the happiest days of my life." Narcissa smiled fondly as she remembered her carefree days with Lucius and their friends. "They would have been the happiest days of Draco's life too, if not for the war. Fortunately, the first war started two years after we left school, and so did not affect us as much. But Draco-"

"Mother." Draco silenced her with a look, "Please."

He looked around, and satisfied that there were no muggles in vicinity, then nodded at Scorpius.

"You first."

Grace watched as Scorpius Malafoy angled his trolley, and then ran swiftly through the wall, to platform nine and three quarters.

Draco turned to Grace. "Your turn."

She simply stared at the wall, wishing she had run away instead. She wasn't afraid of crashing or falling, she knew it wouldn't happen. But she was afraid of what, or rather who, awaited on the other side.

"It'll be okay," Draco said, gently nudging her towards the wall, "I promise."

Astoria gave her a reassuring smile.

She nodded. He had never broken a promise before.

She took a deep breath and ran, just as Scorpius had, into the wall.

At first, no one noticed, but as they approached the train, heads began to turn. It didn't help that Grace was with the Malafoys who were fairly deft at turning heads without her help. Silence took over. Worse, the Potters and Weasleys appeared. The whole clan, all at once.

Surprisingly, Harry Potter was the first to greet them.

"Narcissa, Draco, Astoria, Scorpius," he nodded and smiled at them in turn, before focusing on Grace. "Hello. Grace, is it?"

Grace nodded, not knowing what to make of his behavior and feeling very conscious of the fact that they had captured the attention of all eyes and ears present at platform nine and three quarters.

"What year will you be going into?" he enquired softly, giving her a look that suggested he knew exactly how lonely and- she hated to admit it- scared she felt.

"Seventh," she replied stonily.

He grinned and gestured to a tall, dark haired boy behind him. "James is also in seventh year, and so are those two," he said, pointing to two redheads, a girl and a boy, standing some distance away.

She nodded again, not knowing quite what to say.

Draco cleared his throat and looked at not only his children, but also the children staring at them in the crowd. "Perhaps you should get on the train," he said loudly.

It was like his voice had woken them from a trance. Everyone was moving towards the Hogwarts Express, whispering about the girl and her uncanny resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange. Some knew, some were suspicious. The fact that Bella had a daughter had been carefully hidden from everyone but immediate family and a few carefully chosen friends.

They walked with the Potters and Weasleys- Draco, Narcissa, Astoria and Harry having hurried whispered conversations. Grace did not follow. She stood there, pondering the best way to escape, until Scorpius came and took her by the arm.

"C'mon," he muttered tugging on her arm.

She shook her head and pulled her arm out of his grip. "I shouldn't have come."

He watched her eyes flick urgently around the platform, trying to find an escape route.

"If you go now, they'll just bring you back." He tried to reason with her.

"I can do as I wish." She snapped

"You won't have anywhere to go." He pointed out.

She glared at Scorpius, but allowed him to lead her to the train all the same.

One year, she told herself. One year.

Grace blamed her ill luck when she found herself forced to sit in a compartment with none other than the three Weasley/Potter children Harry had pointed out. A very awkward silence ensued. The two redheads and James exchanged looks, while Grace did her best to stare out of the window, ignoring their furtive glances at her.

Finally, one of the redheads, the girl, spoke. She cleared her throat, and attempted a smile as Grace turned to look placidly at her.

"I'm Roxanne," she hesitantly held out a hand.

Grace stared at it, unsure. These people were supposed to hate her, yet they offered friendship. What did they want?

Equally hesitant, she slowly lifted her hand to meet Roxanne's larger, tanner one, and the other redhead breathed a sigh of relief.

"Grace." she replied and moved to turn away, just as they boy held up his hand.

"Fred," he announced.

She shook his hand too, and waited for the other boy, James, to stick out his hand.

She watched as Fred and Roxy silently coaxed him, until annoyed, he held his hand out.

"James."

Halfway through the journey, her companions decided to carry on speaking as though she didn't exist.

Grace listened, gathering as much information as she could, learning the names of students, teachers, and wondering about the strange situations and pranks the three of them seem to get themselves into.

When the train stopped, she didn't know whether to be glad she would be rid of them, or unhappy that she would once again be the centre of attention.

She caught sight of Scorpius as they stood waiting for the carriages, and hurried as inconspicuously as she could to his side.

"You okay?" He asked tentatively.

She nodded and then blinked as she watched a carriage appear.

"What's pulling them?"

"Threstrals," Scorpius explained, "you can only see them if you've witnessed death."

Grace couldn't help but admire the castle as she stepped inside the great hall. It was exactly how Narcissa had described it-beautiful, from inside and outside.

Her excitement diminished as she realised it was time for sorting, nervousness creeping up instead. She told herself it didn't matter, as the hat's song finished and her name was called. it was only a year, and it didn't matter, she repeated to herself, but she couldn't help but tremble as she walked up the steps.

She could feel their eyes staring at her, observing her every move, as she sat down on the stool. The hat was placed onto her head, and she jumped as she heard the hat's voice in her head.

"Ah, Grace..Lestrange is it?"

_Yes._

The hat chucked. "Well, if that is the name you wish to take, so be it. Now tell me, which house?"

She shrugged, confused. What about her name?

_I don't know._

"No? Well let's see. And of course it matters, of course it does. Hmm..Hufflepuff? No, no definitely not. Ravenclaw? Perhaps, yes, hmm. Ahhh, Slytherin.."

She winced, giving herself away.

"Oh? No Slytherin? Interesting..why I declared your father Slytherin almost instantly, your mother too. But no, you don't belong. No, you could never be that terrible, but that leaves Gryffindor."

She smirked, thinking how ironic it would be if she ended up in Gryffindor.

The hat chucked. "Oh more so than you think. However.."

And then, without further comment, the hat called out- "GRYFFINDOR!"

No one spoke, no one moved, no one breathed. Grace was sure they all knew exactly who she was now, and were wondering if the hat had finally gone mad. Then, someone clapped. The whole Gryffindor table burst into cheers. She quickly slid of the stool, and walked swiftly to the Gryffindor table.

Alas, her ill luck never left her. The only seat available was next to Roxanne, and opposite James. She sat on the edge, and did not look up from her plate even once, avoiding the curious gazes of her peers. The lively chatter annoyed her, and she wished she was back in her room, alone and free. She listened for a bit, but soon the words became noises, and her thoughts consumed her. She thought about the speech the headmistress had given, about wanting her students to feel, above all, happy and safe.

She smiled bitterly. Two things she never felt.

"Congratulations, though I hoped you'd be in ravenclaw with me." Scorpions said as they left the great hall.

"Me too."

Anything was better than being in a house with almost the entire Weasly/Potter clan, not to mention the others who she suspected would dislike her just as much.

"Right, Gryffindors follow me!" A prefect called out.

Scorpius nodded, "see you later."

She nodded before following the prefect up a staircase.

The room was much smaller than her own back at the manor. She was forced to share with none other than Roxanne Weasley, a brunette called Delilah Wood, and Dominique Weasley. She sauntered over to her bed and started unpacking as her roommates exchanged greetings.

"How was France?" Roxanne asked as she carelessly stuffed a pile of clothes into her wardrobe.

Dominique sighed as she carefully arranged clothes , "Same as always. I had to resort to homework."

"At least you got some work done. I spent the holidays babysitting my sisters. I swear, if my mother has another child.." Delilah stopped as she realised there was someone else in the room.

Dominique followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Lestrange's kid?"

She had missed the sorting, having just flown in from Paris.

Roxanne nodded. "I don't think she's that bad. She did get sorted into Gryffindor."

Dom smirked. "wonder what her mother will think."

Grace may have been on the other side of the room, but she could very well hear every word the three of them uttered. She stopped and thought about it. What would her mother think?

Bellatrix wouldn't care. And any feelings she did have towards her daughter would be buried, now that she had betrayed her. Despite everything her mother was, Grace couldn't help but feel like she'd lost the last piece of hope she had of winning her mother's affections. Not that it really mattered, seeing as she was still locked up in Azkaban and would be, until her death.

She zoned back in to hear the three girls whispering in quiet voices, wondering if they should approach her. They didn't. She decided she didn't really care. It was only one year.

Grace pulled her curtains around her and lay down, putting a silencing spell around her, not at all eager to listen to the gossip they were now spouting.

**Please review!**


	2. Alone again

**It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely**

**- Albert Einstein**

Grace was the last to wake. She tumbled out of bed as she opened her eyes, only to see the room was empty. She glanced at clock. Breakfast had just started. She cursed and ran into the bathroom, showering quickly before pulling on her uniform and then running downstairs, forgetting to do something about her perpetually messy hair.

She sat by herself, ignoring the looks more than half the hall were giving her, picking on her porridge and staring at the timetable that Professor Longbottom, the head of Gryffindor had just handed to her with a glare. Teachers didn't seem to be particularly fond of her either, it seemed.

She had arithmancy first, followed by transfiguration, herbology, and then her favourite, defence against the dark arts. She sighed and sat back, thinking that if she was at home, she wouldn't even be awake yet. Lessons with Astoria only started at ten, and finished at three, with a small lunch break. It was going to be a long day.

On the contrary, the day passed by rather rapidly. Arithmancy and transfiguration were both spent explaining the curriculum . Herbology however, was rather unpleasant. There was only one seat left, next to none other than James Potter.

Grace sat down and watched, from the corner of her eye, as James exchanged apprehensive looks with his friends and cousins. Professor Longbottom glared at her everytime he caught her eye. There were whispers, but he didn't stop them like the other teachers had. It was hard to concentrate on what Longbottom was mumbling, as it wasn't the least bit interesting, and soon her mind wandered away.

"The answer Lestrange?" Longbottom said her surname as though he was being strangled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear the question." she muttered, completely unaware of what was going on.

She heard giggles from across the room and saw James trying to hide a smile.

Longbottom pursed his lips. "What is the Devil's Snare's weakness? Quite a simple question really."

"Light," she answered without hesitation.

Longbottom glared at her but nodded, carrying on with the lesson. Barely five minutes passed, before he tested her knowledge again. This time, with a NEWT question.

"What will happen if undiluted bubotuber's potion is applied to one's face?"

Grace stared at him, flummoxed. He was doing this on purpose, to make her look like a fool. She wasn't supposed to know this, she knew, because Astoria had made her revise every little thing before coming here, and this definitely hadn't been in her notes. She thought about giving in, admitting she didn't know, but then thought better of it. She looked up, into his eyes and watched as he flinched.

Then, she smiled. "Instead of curing acne, large boils will appear on the skin."

Grace watched, satisfied, as he blinked in surprise.

"Good," he said brashly, before continuing with his lecture.

She was questioned three more times, and every time, her answer was right.

James was the last one to enter DADA. Perhaps if he hadn't been too busy hanging out with Dom and Delilah outside, he may have come in earlier and sat next to someone he actually wanted to sit next to. However, when he came in, there were only three seats left. Dom and Delilah quickly sat next to each other, leaving him to settle for the remaining seat. It was next to Lestrange.

For a minute, James just stood there, watching her. Then he turned around and looked at his classmates.

"Switch with me?" he tried, not caring if Lestrange heard.

Even the president of his fanclub said no.

"Mr. Potter! Sit down this instant!" Professor Knuxdon barked.

"Sorry Professor," James mumbled.

He slowly walked over to the empty seat, observing his to-be neighbor. She seemed to be ignoring everything around her, her wild curls shielding her face, as she doodled on a piece of parchment, lost in another world. He sat down and stared at her, but she still didn't look up.

Grace Lestrange did not say a word. She didn't pay attention either. She just read the textbook, while Knuxdon blabbered for an entire hour about what the curriculum would entail and how beneficial DADA was. Lestange was a fast reader, James noticed. She finished three hundred and fifty pages of the four hundred page textbook before class was over. As soon as Knuxdon dismissed them, she grabbed her bag, and left in an instant.

"I'm never coming in late again. That was the most boring lesson of my entire life! I was forced to pay attention, and Knuxdon didn't even say anything useful," James grumbled as he left the room with the girls.

"You could have spoken to Lestrange," Delilah pointed out, smoothing her brown hair as the three of them walked side by side towards the common room.

"No thanks," James shivered.

"Thats mean, James," Delila crossed her arms, giving James a disapproving look.

"She's Lestrange's daughter!"

"So? She didn't do anything," Delilah said, "Just like you didn't save us from Voldemort."

"Her parents are freakin death eaters!" James stared at her, like she was out of her mind.

"And your dad saved us from Voldemort. Doesn't mean you did."

"Its not the same," James argued.

"Dom?" Delilah looked at her best friend, awaiting her opinion.

"She's right." Dom said simply.

"Ha!"

"What- Dom!" James said, surprised, at the usually unfeeling girl.

"Uncle Harry told us to go easy on her," Dom reminded him as they entered the common room.

"Yeah, well, dad's too nice," James sighed, sitting down on an armchair. "And since when do you care what anyone says?"

Dom shrugged, sitting down on the armchair beside James.

"No, you're too mean," Delilah said, frowning at her appearance in a pocket mirror. "How is she any different from Scorpius?"

"The Malafoys didn't want to be death eaters. They had no choice. I mean, Narcissa Malafoy lied to Voldemort about dad being dead, which pretty much led to him saving everybody's asses. Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black and ended up in Azkaban for life. It is_ so_ different."

"Whatever," Delilah replied, sinking into a loveseat.

Grace left the empty dormitory three hours later, her stomach grumbling for dinner. She stood at the entrance of the dining hall, and peered inside. Students sat with their friends, laughing and reminiscing, seemingly having the time of their lives. The Gryffindor table, especially one half of it, was positively glowing with happiness. There, the Potters/Weasleys sat, altogether in a group with a few other friends, talking, laughing, having fun. At the Ravenclaw table she could see Scorpius sitting next to the two Weasley/Potters not in Gryffindor, Rose and Albus. They had accepted him so readily. She remembered Scorpius writing to her about his first day, how he had been sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table feeling sorry for himself, and how Rose had come almost out of nowhere and sat beside him. Albus had joined them later, and ever since then the three of them had been inseparable. Scorpius often went over to the burrow in the holidays, and Rose and Albus had even visited once or twice. She had fled to her room, locking the door in case Scorpius tried to introduce her.

Scorpius was okay. His parents were good now. Draco was one of the best aurors, alongside Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, and Astoria worked for the education department in the ministry, receiving many awards for her work in various schools. But her father was dead, and her mother was lying in an Azkaban cell, and would be till the end of her time.

But it was more than that. Scorpius was good himself, whereas, she wasn't really sure about herself. Her thoughts were nowhere near as extreme as the extermination of all muggles and muggle-borns, but at the same time she knew she was no angel. Narcissa had told her enough times.

"Just like your mother!" She would exclaim whenever Grace misbehaved or argued.

And when she was silent, sullen, and snappy, which was always, she would get a "just like your father!" from her, which was strange, because Lucius had once told her (back when Lucius was still alive) that Rudolphus had been the life of the party.

She scared people too, she knew. Even Draco and Astoria were afraid of her, though they tried not to show it.

"The way she speaks..It reminds me of.." Draco had once said, as he stood in the kitchen with Astoria, and then he had shuddered.

She wanted desperately to know who exactly she spoke like, but Astoria had glared at him so menacingly, he had shut up right away.

Grace didn't want to be like her parents, and it scared her that she seemed to have so much in common with them. Was she good? Was she evil? She didn't know. She felt out of place, unsure of herself, unsure of life. And now she had been sorted into Gryffindor. That had to mean something, didn't it? She couldn't be evil if she had been sorted into Gryffindor, could she?

She continued watching everyone eat and laugh, and try as she might, she couldn't imagine herself acting the way they were. She had never had friends before. She rarely even left the house except to get a breath of fresh air for five minutes.

Grace turned around and walked up the staircases to the seventh floor, where she knew the room of requirement was.

_I need a quiet place where I can be alone._

_And some food,_ she added.

Immediately, a doorway appeared.

She stepped inside to a cosy room, with a comfortable looking couch, a bookshelf overflowing with books, and a small table, with a mug of hot chocolate and a feast on it. She hurriedly sat down and ate the food, before picking out a book with great difficulty (there were so many choices!). She sat down and drank the hot chocolate, eyes fixed determinedly on the pages. This was almost as good as home.

"Ahem."

The Potters/Weasleys looked across their shoulders to see the headmistress, McGonagall, staring at them.

"Oh..er hi professor," James said, as silence washed over their part of the table

Fred and Roxy quickly hid their latest inventions, Louis stopped talking about his secret stash of firewhiskey, and they all looked up at McGonagall, wondering what she could possible want.

"Good evening, Potters, Weasleys," McGonagall greeted, not bothering to list every individual.

"Where is Lestrange ?" she enquired suspiciously, her beady eyes looking at them as if one of them had hidden her somewhere.

"Um..We don't know?" James answered for all of them, looking confused.

He was the self appointed leader of their clan.

"No?" McGonagall gazed at all of them in turn. They all shook their heads.

"Well, as she has not come down to dinner, I fear she may be lost. Could one of you be so kind as to find her? Mr Weasley, , perhaps?" she nodded at Fred and James.

"Thank you," McGonagall said, turning around.

They boys stared at her incredulously.

"But she could be anywhere!" Fred burst out, "and why us?"

He had a list of first day pranks to attend to with Roxy, and did not fancy the idea of searching every nook and cranny of the castle for Lestrange, of all people.

"I doubt it will take you long," McGonagall said, answering both his questions, "you do have a map, don't you?"

They all stared at each other as she left.

"McGonagall knows about the map?" James asked, horrified.

"Course she does. I mean, your grandparents made it, your parents used it, she must have seen it sometime," Delilah said, reaching over to grab the salt.

"But she can't just read it, she has to know the magic words," Fred pointed out.

Delilah shrugged. "She could have seen someone using it. She is a cat, after all."

"And she didn't confiscate it," James grinned.

"Minnie loves us," Fred concluded, fist bumping James.

"Have fun looking for Lestrange!" Delilah teased.

They all laughed as the boys groaned simultaneously.

"Typical," Fred said as they watched Lestrange's dot on the Marauder's map, "room of requirement."

"How does she even know where it is?" James said, as they waited for the staircases to change.

Fred shrugged. "Scorpius?"

"Yeah, probably."

They carried on climbing until they were outside the room.

_We need to find Lestrange_, they both thought.

The doorway refused to appear.

**Please review!**


	3. The Prank

**There's a thin line between love and hate. Maybe you're confusing your emotions.**

**-Simone Elkeles**

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><p>"There you are!"<p>

Grace jumped and turned to see a rather annoyed looking Fred Weasley and James Potter leaning on the wall opposite the room of requirement.

"We've been waiting for ages! What the hell were you doing in there?" Fred asked suspiciously.

Grace just blinked at them, confused.

"McGonagall made us find you. We told her the door wouldn't open, so she made us wait for you." James answered her silent question, starting to walk towards the staircases.

"And you have to stick with us now. Apparently we're your buddies." Fred rolled his eyes, following James down the stairs.

"Yeah, we're not thrilled about it either," James confessed, catching the look of displeasure that flashed in Grace's usually blank eyes.

"I swear Minnie hates us," Fred said scowling.

"Tell me about it," James sighed.

"I swear we never did anything?" Fred said thoughtfully.

James rolled his eyes. "I think you're forgetting things called..pranks?"

Fred looked taken back. "That was only a bit of fun! Minnie knows that."

James snorted. "I doubt she found it fun. You did give her a pink mohawk last year." He reminded Fred, laughing at the memory of Minnie looking absolutely furious with pink hair and black eyebrows.

"Oh yeah," Fred laughed too.

Grace stared at them incredulously. Pink mohawk? To a teacher?

"What took you so long?" Delilah Wood inquired, looking up from the letter she was composing as the three of them entered the common room.

"Why don't you ask Lestrange?" Fred grumbled, glaring at the girl.

After all, she had made him spend his first day of seventh year waiting outside the room of requirement when he was supposed to be plotting pranks for the first week.

Grace just ran up to girls' dormitory.

"Fred," Roxy frowned. "That was mean."

Delilah nodded in agreement, whereas Dom simply looked amused.

Fred blinked, settling down beside Roxy on the couch. "What did I say?"

Grace lay on her bed, curtains pulled around her, positively fuming as she lay in darkness, ignoring the hushed whispers of her roommates. Yes, she had agreed to come to Hogwarts, but only to complete her Newts. Not to be gossiped about, or teased, and certainly not to be buddies with a Potter and a Weasley. Then again, she hadn't expected anything less, especially not in the gossiping department. She had half a mind to march up to McGonagall's office and demand she be left alone, but then she would have to actually speak to her, and she despised an uncomfortable one-to-one conversation with McGonagall (or anyone, really) even more than she despised Potter and Weasley "looking after her". She closed her eyes, as the whispers lulled to a finish, and tried to console herself. One day less, she thought, one day less.

"Finally," Fred threw his hands up in exasperation as Grace walked down the stairs.

"Breakfast ends in ten minutes. Come down earlier next time," James said, pushing the portrait open.

Grace raised an eyebrow, not moving.

James rolled his eyes at her expression. "McGonagall said we have to "take care" of you. So c'mon."

He strutted out of the portrait hole, Fred at his heels.

Grace considered disappearing to the room of requirement, but thought better of it since McGonagall knew where she had been, and probably wouldn't hesitate to seek her out herself, just like she had pursued her in her own house. She had randomly apparated in one morning, under the pretence of simply having tea with Draco and Astoria, and had somehow ended up convincing the two of them that attending Hogwarts was in her best interests. Grace now disliked the old woman- in her mind, she had almost ruined her already ruined life, if that was even possible, and she was ruining it even more, what with this whole friendship thing.

Resentfully, she trudged behind the two boys, glaring at them whenever they looked back at her.

Dom, Delilah and Roxy sat alone at breakfast, sipping coffee and wondering what was holding the boys up.

"It's so much peaceful without them though," Dom said thoughtfully as for once there were no raised voices or unnecessary noises.

Delilah nodded in agreement. "Too peaceful, without them for constant entertainment."

Dom shrugged. "At least we have Roxy."

"Hey!" Roxy protested as the two of them laughed.

Then something, or rather someone, caught her eye.

"Oh no," she muttered sinking into her seat.

"What?" Delilah turned around, and groaned as she saw him making his way towards them.

"Dom, hide," she commanded, hoping that for once, her friend would listen. Unfortunately not.

Dom only sat up straighter and narrowed her sapphire eyes. "Never."

Delilah opened her mouth in protest, but her brother was faster.

"Hello sis, Roxy, Dominique," Jack Wood drawled, taking a seat next to his sister and leaning back, arms crossed across his toned chest.

Delilah rolled her eyes at her arrogant twin, Dom glared, and Roxy..well Roxy went red. Dom smirked at her red cheeks, while Delilah looked a little disgusted, as she always did at the notion of her friend liking her brother.

Dom opened her mouth, but Delilah cut across.

"What do you want Jack?" She groaned, hardly in the mood to listen to the arguments of her best friend and brother at almost eight in the morning.

Jack pretended to look offended. "Can't I talk to my sister?"

Delilah snorted. "Yeah, cos that's why you're here."

Jack ran his hand through his dark hair, smirking at the statuesque blond sitting opposite him. "Well, why else would I be here? And I do need to talk to you, actually. Mum sent me a letter for you."

He reached inside his trouser pocket and pulled out a crumpled envelope.

"Great, thanks, nice talking to you. Now please, leave." Delilah said hurriedly, grabbing the envelope and literally pushing her giant of a brother of the bench. He didn't even sway, much to her annoyance. She sighed and put her head in her hands, exchanging an exasperated look with Roxy. A pretense, on her part, as she had no problem whatsoever with Delilah's hunk of a brother sitting diagonally opposite her. If only he was directly opposite her..

"So, Dominique, how was your summer?" Jack smirked, as Dom scowled in annoyance.

"Stop calling me that," she snapped.

"Calling you what?" He asked innocently, enjoying her irritation.

"Dom-in-ique," she enounced, glaring at him.

"Isn't that your name?" He continued, smirking as she began turning red.

Dom took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. He was doing this to make her angry, and it was working, as usual. She couldn't let him have satisfaction. At least not this time.

"Yes," she smiled tightly, "but I prefer Dom, as you know."

"Ok," he nodded innocently. "So Dominique, how was your summer?"

His smirk returned as he saw she was positively fuming now.

"My summer is none of your business Jack!" Dom snapped, as Jack's smirk widened at her anger. Control, she reminded herself, control.

"Please," she smiled falsely, pushing a loose strand behind her ear, "go away."

"Nah, I think I'll stay Dominique, if you don't mind." He said, edging closer to her so his face was just inches away from hers.

"I do mind!" She couldn't help but snap, glaring at him as he inched closer. But she refused to move, because that would be giving in, and Dom Weasley did not give in.

He shook his head in mock sadness. "Such a short temper."

"I do not have a short temper, you idiot! Anyone can tell you that. You're just so stupid, and annoying and irritating and-"

"Lovely, and handsome, and smart," he finished, chuckling as Delilah rolled her eyes. "Right Roxy?"

He turned to the redhead, who tried her best to contain her blush, and rolled her eyes instead. "In your dreams Jack."

And certainly in mine, she thought, quickly taking a sip of pumpkin juice to cover her red cheeks.

"Ok Jack, you've achieved your purpose. Dom is angry. Now please, leave." Delilah said, trying once again to shove her brother, and failing yet again.

"Oh but, she never answered my question," Jack said moving closer to Dom again.

"And I'm not going to," Dom snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at the insolent boy facing her, "so leave."

"You know," Jack began, unfettered by their attitudes, "I heard a rather interesting rumor concerning you and a certain metamorpha-"

"Shut up!" Dom snapped quickly, as Jack laughed and Roxy and Delilah looked between the two of them in confusion. "Shut. Up." She growled, moving so she was right in his face.

Jack smirked. "So it's true."

"No, it's not."

"Yes it is, otherwise you would have no problem with me saying it."

They looked at each other for one intense moment, Roxy and Delilah looking even more confused, before Dom shook her head.

"I don't care if you do."

"Really?" He asked interestedly.

"Truly," she responded sarcastically.

"Fine, then I will."

"Okay," Dom shrugged, pretending to be unperturbed, though her heart was beating a billion beats per second. "I don't care."

Jack observed her for a second, and decided she was only pretending nonchalance. He decided he wouldn't tell, at least, not just yet.

"You do care," he said knowingly, "and your sister will find out eventually, so I'll do you a favor and keep it a secret," he smirked at her dumbfounded expression, which quickly became suspicious as he got up to leave their table.

"What's the catch?" She called as he began walking away.

Jack stopped, and took a moment to think about it.

Then, he turned around and smirked. "I'll let you know."

And he walked away.

"Dom, what-" Delilah began, but Dom was saved as Fred and James came into view, followed by a rather vexed looking Grace.

"Hey people!" Fred said enthusiastically, taking his usual seat next to Roxy and opposite James.

"Hello Fred," Delilah answered rolling her eyes at his cheerfulness. "And hi James, and er.."

She stopped and looked at Lestrange who was teetering unsurely at the edge of the table. She didn't want to sit with them. She wanted to run away to the room of requirement. Or better yet, run away from the castle itself, but she could feel McGonagall watching her like a hawk.

She started to move away, but Roxy caught her arm.

"Lestrange..Er..Grace, wait."

Grace stopped and turned around, staring at Roxys fingers on her arm.

Roxy quickly let go, struggling to find words to say. "Um..Why don't you sit with us? We're really not that bad, you know," She smiled, trying to ease the tension.

"We're actually quite awesome," Delilah added, grinning kindly.

"Very awesome," Roxy agreed.

"McGonagall will give us detention for being "rude", call you to her office for a chat, and try and force them to be your friends," Dom nodded distastefully at the Slytherin table, "if you don't sit with us."

Delilah glared at her. "Ignore Dom. She likes to believe she can see the future."

"Well she usually can-" Fred started.

"Sit with us," Delilah quickly cut across, giving Fred a dark look. She smiled and patted the seat beside her.

Grace looked at Dominique, who smirked knowingly back at her. If what she said was true, and she could see in her eyes it was..well she didn't feel like paying McGonagall a visit. Especially not alone.

Hesitantly, she slowly sunk in the empty space beside Delilah, who continued having breakfast as if nothing had happened.

"Why?" Grace heard James whisper, obviously irritated by her, "Did you have to pick her to be your new project?"

"Its called being nice. You should try it sometime," Delilah paused, buttering her toast. "And Dom is probably right."

"I'm definitely right," Dom interjected confidently, sipping her coffee in satisfaction.

"How can you even hear that?" James questioned. "We're whispering."

Dom smirked. "I'm not the only one who can hear you," she looked pointedly at Grace who was stabbing her pancake while pretending ignorance.

"Anyway," Ddelilah quickly said, "what do you guys have first? I've got potions," she groaned.

"Same," Fred, Dom, and Roxy replied, looking less than cheerful.

"Ha! I have DADA!" James teased.

"Grace?" Delilah asked sweetly.

They all turned to look at her, but she didn't meet their gazes.

"DADA," she replied stiffly.

James grimaced. If he had to sit next to her again..

"Oh, you'll have James then," Delilah smiled, nudging James, who made a disagreeable sound.

"Great," he muttered sarcastically, not looking up as he forked a whole waffle into his mouth.

Delilah glared at him, as Roxy diplomatically changed the subject again.

"Hey Fred," James whispered as they walked down the hall on Friday, Grace lingering meters behind as she followed them to class like she did everyday.

"I have an idea."

He whispered his "brilliant" idea into Fred's ear. The redhead grinned. Another prank.

The plan was simple. They would lead Grace to the sixth floor, where she had never been, put on the invisibility cloak, and then leave her to find her way to class by herself. To Herbology, in particular. Longbottom wouldn't care why she was late, he would probably give her a months worth of detention. Make her scrub the trophies wandlessly or something. It sounded perfect, but it went wrong.

When they reached the fifth floor, Grace realised they were going the wrong way, snapping out of her incoherent thoughts. She had been following them without thinking, assuming that as always, they would be going the right way. Now, she realised, they were headed in the opposite direction. Yes, it was only her fifth day and the castle was enormous, but she had paid enough attention to have a basic understanding of where things were.

She watched as James leant over and whispered excitedly in Fred's ear, who looked at her and laughed. Bloody hell, it better not be another prank, she thought.

There was only one way to find out.

Grace fixed her eyes on the back of James's head and focused. She watched as he shivered.

She was in.

She could see his thoughts in pictures, one after the other, like the pages of a book, which she quickly turned, looking for the information she wanted. Quidditch, food, friends, girls..and then- everyone laughing as Longbottom humiliated her for being late. She watched as James and Fred smirked and high fived, and surprisingly, Roxy and Delilah frowned at the boys.

She quickly dug herself out, averting her eyes as James turned to look at her.

"James? What?" Fred asked, as James shivered and looked around in confusion.

"Nothing, I just felt..never mind," James shook his head as continued walking.

Grace had to escape, but she had to do it without them noticing, play them at their own game. She knew Longbottom wouldn't be too harsh on them, he would probably just make them stay after class for ten minutes or something equally futile, but that was hardly the point. The point was to see the looks on their faces when they realised she was gone, and when they finally entered to see her sitting before them. She had had enough of their sarcastic comments, insults and jokes over the past few days. It was time to strike back.

Grace walked slower and slower until they reached a corner, where the boys turned. She quickly cast a spell, an advance version of stupify which kept her victims stupefied for exactly how long she wished them to be. They froze, and satisfied with the spell, she started rapidly walking away, trying to make her footsteps as soft as humanly possible. They wouldn't wake up very soon, not for a few minutes at least, so she was safe for now. As she got further away, she started sprinting. If she ran fast enough, she would be only be a minute late, though Longbottom would probably still give her detention, just because it was her. Her mother must have killed someone he knew to make him hate her so much, as she hasn't once disrupted his class or not handed in homework. Luckily, the classroom wasn't hard to find, being very near the greenhouses.

She stopped outside the classroom, and took a deep breath, composing herself as she was still panting from the run. Then, she pushed open the door, only to see McGonagall sitting where Longbottom usually sat.

" ," McGonagall gave her a stern look, "just in time."

"Sorry," Grace mumbled walking to her seat as all eyes turned to her.

"And where would and be?"

"I don't know Professor," Grace lied, trying to restrain a smile.

This was better than she had imagined. Longbottom may not have given James and Fred detention, but McGonagall certainly would.

McGonagall frowned, peering at Dom, Delilah and Roxy. "They were meant to show you to your classes and look after you."

There were a few sniggers around the classroom at this, but Grace couldn't have cared less. It didn't matter to her what any of them thought one bit. She just needed to get out of here, which she would do, in one year. One long, dull, agonising year, but still, only one year.

"You have not seen them?"

Grace shook her head. "No, not since lunch."

McGonagall nodded. "Very well."

She turned to the students, clearing her throat for their attention. "Professor Longbottom is not well, so I shall be covering your lesson. You will read through chapter two in your textbook,and then start on your essays. There shall be no talking. Understood?"

Grace took out her textbook and began reading . It was all just so..boring. She wanted to go outside, see the world, not sit in a cramped classroom writing essays. Admittedly it wasn't any different from being back at home, where she didn't go out either, but at least there she pretty much had the freedom to do as she wished. The only thing that kept her going was the knowledge that after this year, she would be free to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, all by herself. She would have to get a job, but it would be something simple like a waiter or even a janitor. She wouldn't earn much money, but she didn't care. She wouldn't have much to earn for anyway, since it would just be her, and after she passed her NEWTS, she would have official access to her parent's gold, which there remained plenty of. The whole auror thing was just a scam to get Draco off her back. If he hadn't forced her to go to Hogwarts, he would have sent her to another school, whether she liked it or not. And despite her saying she would run away, she knew she couldn't, at least not right now what with having no money and all. At least Hogwarts was closer to home, closer than Durmstrang or any other school. So she stayed, but she hated every minute of it.

She reached to turn the page as something hit her in the back of the head. She turned around to see Delilah smiling at her apologetically, pointing to the scrunched up parchment on the floor.

Silently, she took out her wand and summoned the parchment to her, peering at the near cursive.

**Where are James and Fred?**

She scowled, annoyed at being asked the same question twice, and didn't bother to respond.

She didn't have to, as a minute later, the door opened and in came Fred and James, panting like they had just been running a marathon. Or running all the way from the other side of the castle, Grace smirked knowingly as James's eyes met hers. He glared at her, and she stared back smugly, eagerly awaiting McGonagall's wrath.

" Where have you been?" McGonagall sounded furious as she fixed them with a stern look. "It is now twenty minutes past the beginning of the lesson!" She snapped.

"Sorry Professor," Fred said monotonously, joining James in glaring at Grace.

"Where have you been?" McGonagall snapped again.

All eyes fixed on the two of them as they looked at each other, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

"We were looking for Lestrange since we're supposed to look after her," James said bitingly, "But when we turned around she wasn't there, and we were worried she got lost."

Grace snorted in mirth. If McGonagall believed that..

"How considerate of you, Potter, Weasley, but was on time for this lesson. I fail to see how you did not find her if you were going the same way."

Grace smirked in satisfaction as the boys looked stumped.

"Detention, Sunday, four o'clock."

"But professor-" Fred tried.

"Sit down," McGonagall said with finality.

Fred shot Grace one last glare before taking his seat beside Roxy, who raised an enquiring eyebrow up at him. Later, he mouthed, diving into his textbook. He was much too annoyed to talk about it now.

She had known. But how?

James ambled over to the seat beside Grace and sat down angrily. He glared at her as she continued writing her essay as if nothing had happened.

"You knew," he stated quietly, looking over to make sure McGonagall hadn't heard.

She simply nodded, which frustrated him even more.

"How?" he demanded.

He had to know. She had been too far away when he had told Fred his plan, and there was no other way she could have known.

She didn't respond.

"Tell me," he growled in frustration.

Right now, he hated her. He had planned for the Quidditch tryouts to take place on Sunday, and now he would have to reschedule his plans because of her. She was supposed to get into trouble, not them.

She didn't respond.

"Tell. Me." He growled impatiently.

She just shrugged.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Her head snapped up. "I am not going to tell you." She glared at him, enouncing each word.

James smirked. Finally, after all the taunts, hexes, insults- a reaction.

"Tell me."

She didn't bother responding. His eyes were still fixed on her.

"Tell me."

Five seconds passed.

"Tell me."

Grace turned to glare at him. "If you don't shut up, I will put a silencing charm on you."

"I'm so scared," James said dramatically. "Tell me," he added.

She grabbed her wand to silence him, but before she could-

"If you don't stop talking you will have detention the Sunday after that too," Mcgonnagall said sternly, without looking up from the book she was reading.

James scowled and turned away from Grace, burying his head into the textbook.

"Well," Delilah smirked, "that's what you get for being prats."

"Excuse me?" Fred stared at her, "whose side are you on?"

"You have to admit that wasn't a nice thing to do." Roxy defended her friend, as they sat in the common room later that day.

"Wasn't a nice thing to do?" Fred mocked her chirpy voice, "Whose twin are you?"

Delilah rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic Fred. So you got one detention. You deserve it."

"Excuse me?" Fred stared at her incredulously. He turned to James, who sat on the opposite couch with a frown. "James, back me up here."

James didn't say anything.

"James?"

"I don't know how she knew."

"Does it matter?" Fred scowled.

"Yes."

"Maybe she just knows the way around school now?" Roxy shrugged.

"No," James shook his head, "She's known they way for a while now. I've ditched her before, but she kept following us this time so I thought maybe she didn't know. And that doesn't explain why she followed us halfway and then left."

"Maybe she realised halfway?" Delilah suggested.

"Maybe she heard us whispering?" Fred thought.

"No," James shook his head, "She couldn't have. We were too far Dom couldn't have."

"Really," Dom straightened up at the challange, "how far were you?"

James rolled his eyes. "Too far Dom."

"And we were whispering," Fred added.

"Yeah cos you're such a brilliant whisperer Fred," Dom said sarcastically.

"Hey!"

"Anyway," James said, "she wouldn't tell me when I asked her.

Delilah snorted. "Can you blame her?"

"Where is she, by the way?" Delilah asked, glancing around the common room.

James shrugged. "Room of requirement? Who even cares."

For the entirety of the next week, James tried to prank Grace, but in vain. Every attempt, whether it was dungbombs, or love potion in her pumpkin juice (she switched glasses with him when he wasn't looking) ended in vain. She always knew, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out how. There was more to Grace Lestrange, and he wasn't going to rest till he figured it all out. No one had ever gotten away, and he certainly wasn't going to let her be the one who did. Not on his watch.

**Please review :)**


	4. Attack

**True friendship is seen through the heart, not through the eyes.**

**- Gloria Naylor**

* * *

><p>"Love potion again Potter? Running out of ideas?" Grace teased, pushing away her goblet of pumpkin juice as James huffed and the others laughed.<p>

They all sat at breakfast, including Grace, who had no choice but to, as McGonnagall threatened them all with detention anytime she saw them without her.

It wasn't as if they were friends now, but the hostility between Fred, James and Grace had diminished, only to be replaced by curiosity on Fred an James's part. For Grace their pranks and jokes were a distraction, keeping her from boredom as she had to spend almost every minute of the day wary of their pranks. Of course, it was hardly difficult popping in and out of James's head, but should she ever forget to..well the consequences would be quite unpleasant. Roxy and Delilah were friendly as always, constantly trying to include her in their conversations, though she barely responded. Dom was neither hostile nor friendly; as always she possessed a nonchalant attitude, often simply ignoring the newcomer, only acknowledging her presence if necessary. Everyone else had left her alone, at least for the time being, as she had given them nothing worthwhile to gossip about since she had been forced to sit with the Weasleys.

James had taken to pranking her daily, sometimes several times a day, often including Fred and a partly reluctant Roxy in his schemes. However, it didn't matter what they did- they were always caught out, and why and how, they still couldn't fathom. It had become a sort of game now, a different prank each day, in hopes Grace would finally fall for it, but she never did. She was victorious each time.

James scowled. "How did you know?"

Grace simply shrugged as she always did, and the others pondered old theories once again.

"Okay guys, time to go. Five minutes till transfiguration," Delilah said, finishing the last bite of her porridge and getting up. The others mimicked her action, James grabbing a goblet of pumpkin juice, and downing it in one gulp.

As soon as he did, his eyes got a dreamy look in them, and his face curled into a frighteningly bright smile.

"Uh..James? You okay?" Roxy asked, staring confusedly at his delightful expression.

James grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, so her face was right in front of his.

"Where is Parkinson?"

"What?" Roxy asked, sharing puzzled looks with the others.

"Where is Parkinson? Where is my love?" James let go of her, and looked around, a panicked expression taking over his face, before he suddenly ran towards the Slytherin table. The whole hall watched in confusion as he ran up to John Parkinson, and thew his arms around him.

"Parkinson!" He hollered. "My only love, my-"

"What the hell!" Parkinson yelled, trying to push James off of him. He almost pulled his wand out of his robes, ready to strike Potter, but stopped, realizing all the teacher were present only a few meters away. "Get off!"

Delilah was the first to recover, she turned to Grace, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, somewhat annoyed, somewhat amused. "Tell me you didn't."

"I didn't. I pushed the flask away from me, in front of him, and he drank it. He must have forgotten." She defended herself, struggling to hold in her laugh as she watched James try to kiss a horrified Parkinson. So that's who she would have fallen in "love" with had she drank it.

"Right," Delilah exhaled, her voice becoming all head-girl like."Fred, Roxy, get James. Dom, put up protego, and stupefy him if necessary. I'm going to ask Slughorn for the cure."

Fred and Roxy immediately snapped into action, Dom following close behind, struggling to keep a straight face. She could see Jack, roaring with laughter along with his friends at what was considered the "good" side of the Slytherin table, also known as the people who were not the ever vengeful children of the death eaters, but simply possessed the qualities needed to be in Slytherin.

Grace smirked in satisfaction. There, she thought, a taste of your own medicine.

"I hate you," James informed Grace later, as they sat in Herbology.

"I really do," he said again, when Grace didn't respond, continuing to answer the questions Longbottom had given them.

"I care so much Potter," Grace said sarcastically, not even bothering to look at him.

"I can't believe you did that," he said indignantly. "That was so..mean." He finished lamely.

Grace looked up. "You were going to do that to me, Potter, what about that? And I didn't do anything. You knew the goblet was there, and you drank from it. It's not my fault."

Damn, he thought, she was right. Again.

"I'm going to get back at you," James threatened.

"In your dreams, Potter."

* * *

><p>Grace sighed as she rearranged her wardrobe for the tenth time that week and that too, manually. But there was nothing else for her to do. She had more than enough time to finish her homework, what with having ancient runes spares (like the one now), and astronomy spares, and divination spares, and all the free time after classes. Why anyone chose to take such obviously useless subjects..she didn't understand.<p>

James had a free too, she knew, not that it mattered. He was never in his dormitory (not that she would have hung out with him, she had just noticed), and this was the only time she got the dorm to herself, since the rest of the girls, barring Dom who chose not to stay in the dormitory, took ancient runes. She continued to silently stack her clothes in neat piles, colour coded, this time, until a loud knock sounded on the door.

Hesitantly, she opened the door, hoping whoever it was would go away when they saw her.

She blinked in surprise as she wrenched open the door to see a rather haggard looking Lily Potter standing before her, clutching her potions textbook and a piece of parchment half covered in neat cursive writing.

"Um..Hi," she muttered nervously, her cheeks turning as red as her hair, though she was barely even looking up at Grace. "Could you..could you help me?"

Grace opened her mouth. To give her a blunt no, but before she could, Lily rambled on.

"James isn't in his dorm, and neither is Dom, and they all have class, and you're the only one and-"she suddenly stopped rambling and looked pleadingly at Grace. "Please help me."

Grace considered saying no, but the poor girl looked like she was about to burst into tears any second, and well, Lily had never given Grace any reason to dislike her, though she was Potter's sister, and it wasn't as if she had anything better to do.

Grace stepped back and nodded, allowing the tiny girl to enter the room.

Lily opened her textbook and explained. "I'm supposed to write a foot long essay on this, but I just don't understand it," she explained exasperatedly. "And I have potions next! He'll probably give me detention," she sobbed.

Grace nodded and held out her hand, and Lily passed over her textbook and parchment. For a few minutes, there was silence as Grace scanned over the textbooks and what Lily had already written, and Lily stood nervously, playing with the hem of her shirt and watching the older girl's eyes move rapidly down the pages.

"What don't you understand?" Grace asked, her voice surprisingly gentle, even to herself.

"Er..all of it?" Lily said embarrassedly.

"Right, well lets start from the beginning..."

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Lily yelled happily, an hour later, pulling Grace into a hug. "You are an awesome teacher! I totally get it now!"

Grace froze as the twelve year old wrapped her arms around her so tight, she could barely breathe. For someone so small, she was certainly quite powerful.

"You're welcome," she replied, a smile finding its way to her own face. She had some practice teaching, as she often helped Scorpius with his holiday homework.

"I have to go to Potions now, but I'll see you later, okay? Bye!" Lily called as she ran down the stairs. "And thanks again!"

Grace found herself chuckling as she watched the little redhead race away. She suddenly felt very lonely as she turned back to the empty room, with only her monotonous wardrobe for company.

* * *

><p>"Dominique!"<p>

Dom turned around, irritated already, as only one person called her that. One very, very annoying, arrogant, person.

"What, Jack?" Dominique snapped.

How he always managed to find her she would never know. He didn't even have the Marauder's map, for Merlin's sake.

She opened her mouth to continue snapping at him, but stopped when she noticed that it wasn't his usual teasing look he wore, but instead an angry, worried expression.

"What-"

"Lily's in danger," he explained grabbing her arm, he tugged on her arm as he started sprinting in the other direction.

"What-"

"Just follow me!" Jack yelled, pulling her along with him.

"What? What happened? Where is she?" Dom yelled back, now running beside him.

"They're attacking her. Nott, Crabbe, Goyle and I don't know who else."

"What? They aren't even in Hogwarts anymore! "

"I know, they came here to do this."

"And you stopped to get me! You idiot, you should have gone straight to save her!" Dom shouted, panic rising in her chest at the thought of her delicate little cousin getting attacked by several Slytherins much older than her.

"Cooper just told me and then I saw you. Stop!" he yelled, pulling her down as a spell flew past them, nearly hitting Dom.

"Thanks," she breathed, tentatively getting up.

Jack nodded and held a finger to his lips, carefully peering around the wall. He crept forwards slowly, motioning for Dom to follow him.

Dom stared at the sight before her. Five seventh years were gathered around her cousin, shooting various nasty jinxes, hexes, and spells at her, roaring with laughter as tears rolled down her pretty cheeks. Dom pulled out her wand and aimed it at them, only to get pulled back by Jack.

"No," he said firmly, cutting of her protests. "There are too many. We have to get James and Lilah."

Dom shook her head "It'll be too late!" she hissed.

"Well we won't be any help if they knock us out, will we!"

"They won't!"

"You know damn well they will!"

"Jack! Now is so not the time-"

She was cut off as they heard a somewhat familiar voice yelling "stupefy!"

They stared in astonishment as a single figure came into view, wand held tight in hand, eyes blazing with fury.

Grace had been heading towards the empty quidditch grounds, eager for some fresh air, when she had heard maniacal laughter that closely resembled a hyena's. She had also heard yelling, soft, heart-wrenching sobs, and a muffled voice yelling for help.

"No! Please! Let me go" the voice cried out desperately as it got further and further away from her.

For a second she stood still, debating whether or not to get involved. It sounded like someone was being taken somewhere against their will, being attacked. Tortured even, she though as she heard a piercing scream. Slowly, she tip-toed behind towards the sounds, gasping as she saw the horrible sight. Five Slytherins were shooting spells at none other than, cute, dainty, little Lily Potter. That settled it. She wouldn't walk away now, she couldn't. Despite her will to not get involved in anything that wasn't her business, her conscience simply wouldn't let her. Partly because someone was being attacked, and partly because of the unfairness of the whole thing. Five, big, burly Slytherins on one tiny Lily? How was that in any way fair? Perhaps if it had been been someone else, someone older, and less attackers she would have walked away, they would have been strong enough to deal with it, but she couldn't just let innocent little Lily get hurt. Whipping her wand out, she charged.

Dom and Jack watched, awestruck, as the stupefied boy fell to the ground. Immediately, the rest stopped and turned to the direction of the castor.

"You," Parkinson's eyes narrowed. "Traitor."

He opened his mouth to cast a spell, but before he could, Dom and Jack both yelled different spells at him, resulting in him crashing to the ground with a thud.

They rushed forward as Parkinson quickly got up and began growling spells in their direction.

Jack battled Parkinson as Dom faced Nott, and Grace battled the two others together, all while standing in front of Lily, not letting anyone get close to her.

Dom grinned as Parkinson fell to the floor, unconscious, his wand in her hand. She pocketed it and turned, just in time to see Nott's wand fly over to Jack. He too, pocketed his opponents wand, and turned towards Dom and Grace, only for Nott to come pummeling into him.

"Jack!" Dom screamed as Nott put his hands around Jack's throat, squeezing it mercilessly.

Jack flailed about, punching and kicking every inch of the heavy teenager pinning him down.

She pulled out her wand, and hesitated. Jack and Nott were rolling about now, and there was no way she was going to get a clear shot. Dom looked around haphazardly, for something to hit Nott with. When she couldn't find anything, she crept closer to the wrestling duo, and waited till Jack was on top of Nott. Nott could turn him around anytime, but it was now, or never.

She crept even closer, and then just as Nott started to get up, she moved behind him and kicked him on his head with her heel, as hard as she could, knocking him out.

Jack stumbled up, his face and hands bloody, grabbing her elbow to keep himself steady. "Thanks."

Dom nodded, and they both turned to see Grace dueling with Carrow- the leader, who had just arrived.

"Dominique, get McGonnagall. I'll help," Jack said starting towards Grace and Carrow, wand out and ready.

"What? No! You get help!"

Jack spun around exasperatedly.

"Dom! For once will you just-"

"You idiot! Have you seen your face!"

"I'm perfectly capable of-"

"Duck!" Dom yelled pulling Jack down with her, as a spell nearly hit them.

"Right," she said practically, "let's both go."

Jack nodded. "One, two-"

He stopped as Carrow fell to the ground, eyes shut, his wand flying over to Grace's outstretched hand. The last one, gone.

"Lily!" Dom yelled, hurrying towards her. "Lily!" She yelled again, pulling the unconscious girl into her lap. She checked for her heartbeat as Grace watched her, and Jack ran to get help.

Dom looked up to see Grace watching her, waiting for news.

"She's alive," She informed Grace.

Grace just nodded and walked away.

Dom sighed. Ho had she not seen that coming?

* * *

><p>"Lily! Lily!"<p>

James hurtled into the hospital wing, and began searching every bed for Lily. "Quiet! Your sister is there," Madame Pomfrey snapped she pointing to the last bed, the one nearest to her own bedroom, where she kept the patients who needed the most intensive care.

James softened as he saw Lily lying on the bed, looking frailer than ever.

Beside her, Dom and Jack stood, for once quiet, their arguments at rest. Such was the power, of little Lily Potter.

"Is she okay?" James whispered, taking Lily's little hand into his own.

"She will be," Dom whispered back, actually looking worried for once.

"Thanks," James said, to Jack. Without him..James felt sick just thinking about it.

Jack shook his head. "You should be thanking Lestrange."

* * *

><p>James checked the Marauder's map, and groaned as he saw her dot. Drat, room of requirement again. But this time, he would wait as long as he had to. After all, he had some serious thanking to do.<p>

"Grace!" James yelled grabbing her arm as she came out of the room of requirement, starting to go the other way.

Grace blinked. Since when were they on first name basis?

"Yes?" She said, staring uncomfortably at James's firm grip on her arm.

"Sorry," James said, pulling his arm away as he saw what Grace was looking at.

"I just wanted to say.. Thank you," James said earnestly. Now that she had saved Lily, James was seeing her in a whole new light.

Grace looked confused.

"For saving Lily," James explained. "Without you.."

"Your friends helped too," she informed him honestly.

"Yeah, but there is no way they could have defeated them without your help. They're not.. As powerful as you."

Grace stared at him, alarmed at his sudden change of attitude.

"So seriously, thanks. And uh.." He rubbed the back of his neck, "sorry."

"Sorry?" Grace said incredulously. Sorry and thank you were the last words she had ever expected to her from James.

"Yeah, you know, for being so..annoying, and pranking you, and ditching you and.." He hesitated. "Doubting you."

"Doubting me?"

"Well..expecting the worse from you. I was such a prat and you didn't, you don't, deserve that."

Grace blinked again, completely shocked by his words. "Um..okay." she said slowly, wondering he was in the right frame of mind.

James sighed in relief. "Great. So, can we be friends now?"

"Friends?

James laughed as Grace stared at him as if he had suddenly grown two heads.

"Yes, Grace. Friends."

"I..guess so?" she said sounding very unsure. This was not going according to plan, but she couldn't just say no, could she? Besides, it was better to have them on her side than against her.

"Great." James grinned at her, his brown eyes twinkling. "I'll see you later okay? I'm going to see Lily."

He turned away, paused, and then looked back at her. "Do you want to come?"

She was about to say no, when a timid first year interrupted them.  
>"For you," she mumbled, handing Grace a note, before sprinting away.<br>Great. McGonagall wanted to see her, and that too at the hospital wing. Looks like she was going there after all.

**Please review!**


	5. True Gryffindor

**Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.**

**-Andre Malraux**

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Roxy looked up from where she sat on a chair outside the hospital wing to see Delilah standing before her.<p>

She shrugged, fiddling with her wand. "Waiting."

Delilah frowned as she took a seat beside her. "Here?"

"It's too crowded in there, and Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny are going to arrive soon," Roxy explained.

Delilah watched Roxy go back fiddling with her wand,a frown evident on her face. "What's got your knickers in a twist?"

Roxy sighed, before running a hand through her hair and facing Delilah. "I feel like I'm the only normal one here," she admitted.

Delilah raised a brow, amused at her new revelation. "Oh?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Why?"

"Well, let's see. Dom pretends she doesn't care about anything, Jack acts like an obnoxious Slytherin git, Fred acts like life is a joke, and James acts like he knows everything when really,he doesn't know anything."

Delilah raised a single brow. "And me?"

"You're a control freak, and you're a bit too enthusiastic about head duties," Roxy supplied truthfully. "But you don't act anything."

Delilah shrugged. "And your realize all this now? I don't see what your point is."

"My point is..everyone is just acting!" Roxy said, throwing her arms up in frustration as Delilah continued to stare at her, looking rather amused.

"Of course they are. People are rarely ever what they seem. And you are no exception, by the way. You're all talkative and funny around us, but as soon as you are with anyone else, you suddenly act shy and quiet. Explain that," Delilah pointed an accusing finger at Roxy, who stared back defiantly.

"I don't do that!"

"Yes, you do."

"Fine," Roxy huffed, "I guess I do." She regarded Delilah suspiciously. "How do you always know everything?"

" I don't." Delilah rolled her eyes. "And you forgot Grace."

"Grace?" Roxy asked, surprised she was being included in a conversation about their friends.

"Yeah," Delilah nodded. "She saved Lily. No one told her to, no one made her .It wasn't any of her business."

"So?" Roxy shrugged. "Any decent person would have helped."

"No," Delilah shook her head. "There were what, five, six death Slytherins? Any decent person would have called for help, and then gone away, especially if that person meant nothing to them. Yet, she risked herself and defeated them, and that too, single-handedly."

"Jack and Dom helped," Roxy pointed out.

"Hardly. And she helped Lily with Potions before that too."

"Humph," Roxy crossed her arms. "The world is so complicated."

Delilah chuckled. "Tell me about it."

"C'mon," she said, leaping up after a bout of silence,"lets go meet your aunt and uncle."

"Suck up," Roxy muttered, following her friend to the hospital wing.

* * *

><p>Grace stood stoically outside the hospital wing, wondering how she managed to get into these situations. First Hogwarts, now this. Why did she keep trapping herself?<p>

James stopped near the door as he realized he was no longer being followed. He turned to look at Grace, only to see her standing still, deep in thought.

He cleared his throat. "You coming?" He asked, confused as to why she had stopped moving.

She stared back at him, and he suddenly had that feeling again, as though she was looking through him, through his body, searching him for something. Whatever she saw, it must have been what she wanted to see, for she shifted her gaze and nodded.

He turned and pushed open the door, wincing as the peaceful silence was taken over by shouts, screams, wails, whispers, and whatnot.

James brightened as he saw his parents among the crowd of Weasleys, Woods and friends . His mother, cheerful as ever, was chatting amiably with half the family, while his father, reserved as always, held onto a sleeping Lily's hand, all the while keeping a cautionary eye on his exuberant wife.

"Hey," he whispered, carefully sneaking up behind his mother.

James laughed as his mother turned around, smothering him with a hug. "Jimmy!"

"Hey mom."

"I've missed you," she smiled brightly, ruffling his already untidy hair with one hand while hugging him tightly with the other.

"Ouch! Okay, okay, you can let go now."

Ginny Potter sighed and let go of her eldest son, her expression becoming serious at once as she remembered why they were having this reunion.

"She'll be okay mom," James reassured his mother, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"I know, I know," Ginny smiled as James pulled away, "but try telling your father that."

They looked to where Harry stood, gazing down at Lily with the same worried expression he had adopted as soon as he heard the news.

James shook his head. "I'll keep a better watch on her from now on. Really, there's no need for him to be that worried."

Ginny smiled sadly. "He can't bear the thought of loosing someone else, James."

"He won't," James promised.

"He almost did," Ginny looked at her son seriously, "they were sent to hurt her, to torture her, to hold her hostage."

James inhaled, shocked. He glanced at his baby sister. How could anyone even think of hurting her? "But..by who?"

"Aurors are looking into it, but we don't know for sure. They managed to chase down almost everyone who took part, excluding Carrow, I think."

She sighed as she looked over at Lily's pale figure. "I can't believe, even all these years later, that they're still out there."

James swallowed. "Death eaters?" He questioned hesitantly, fearing the answer.

Ginny looked into the distance, avoiding her son's innocent gaze. "Let's hope not."

"Hey dad," James said softly, as he came to stand beside his father.

Harry's green eyes lit up briefly as they registered him. "James."

He reached over and gave him a hug, and for once, James let him, as he had his mother, without a fuss.

"How is she?" He asked as they pulled apart.

"She'll be fine," Harry replied, quietly, almost as if he didn't believe it himself.

"She will be, dad."

Harry nodded. "For now."

He looked at James solemnly, his emerald eyes piercing James's hazel ones. "Promise me you'll watch over her."

James nodded, for once completely humorless. "I will."

Harry nodded back. "I-I can't imagine what would have happened if.." He paused, and looked around. "Where is Grace?"

"Grace!"

Grace jumped, startled as she clutched the door handle, the closest she had got to escaping. Once she had realized there was no sign of McGonnagall, she had decided to flee the scene before she appeared. Too late.

"Grace!"

She turned around to see James yelling at her, hands cupped around his mouth, standing next to his father at his sister's bed.

"Over here!"

Grace cursed his bad timing in her head. Well, she couldn't turn away now, could she, what with _everybody_ staring at her, including Harry Potter himself? Besides, it was better to get this over with; she doubted she would be left alone until she had been spoken with. All eyes were once again on her as she crossed the seemingly lengthy gap between the door and Lily's bed. Hopefully, there wouldn't be much to say.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly when she finally reached where they stood.

She nodded, trying not to look into the infamous green eyes, which were so _good_, so full of honesty, and..understanding. It was like she was completely exposed. It was like in that single glance everything she was feeling, everything she had ever felt was suddenly revealed, brought out into the open for everyone to see. It wasn't of course, but it felt like it. But he knew, she knew. He seemed like he knew everything, and in a way, Grace supposed he did. He had witnessed, experienced, more than anyone had, and that too, all _alone_. And he knew, she knew, that it was that feeling she felt right now, that feeling which sometimes, she longed to get rid off, yet at other times, she cherished.

Grace moved her eyes to Lily's form, and a short, surprisingly comfortable silence took over on their part of room. Of course, there was no stopping Weasleys from talking, a task many had bravely attempted, but none had accomplished successfully.

"She'll be alright," Harry informed her quietly, suspecting she might want to know that her efforts had not been in vain. "Thank you," he said again, trying to show her how much her act meant, trying to make her realize who she really was.

She simply nodded again, not looking up at him, trying to come up with an acceptable excuse to slink away. She doubted being unceremonious to the most highly regarded family in the entire wizarding world would be a very good idea, even in the desolate state she was already in.

To her relief Madam Pomfrey then appeared, rapidly shepherding out everyone but immediate family.

Grace made to quickly walk away, but before she could, she was nearly attacked by the ever ecstatic Fred Weasley.

"Hey! Gracie!"

Grace winced. Nicknames? How had this happened?

She continued on her way to the dormitories silently, hoping he would take the hint. Unfortunately, her lack of response didn't seem to unfaze him.

"You're officially part of the gang!" He announced jubilantly, catching up with her.

She still didn't respond. He opened his mouth to shout even louder, wondering if she was hard of hearing, but Delilah grabbed one arm, and James the other, and together they managed to restrain him from his new mission.

"Hey!" He said, trying to free himself of them, "Get off."

"Leave her alone Fred," Delilah commanded, using her best head girl voice and most menacing stare.

Fred glowered at her and turned to James, trying to shake off his arm. "James."

James shook his head. "No."

Fred looked at him in disbelief. "You have defected!"

James rolled his eyes, but continued to grip him just as tightly, as he tried to wriggle himself out of their vice-like clutches.

"You should be honored!" Fred hollered after Grace, deciding it was best to give up for now. His friends could be _such _party poopers sometimes.

Behind them, Roxy walked beside Dom and Jack in silence. She wanted to say something to Jack, but anything she thought of saying sounded extremely stupid to her when she actually began to say it. So she just stayed silent, and listened to him fight with her cousin.

"Admit it Dominique, you were actually concerned about me," Jack smirked, crossing his arms triumphantly, as he walked on her right.

"I was _not,_" Dom huffed, annoyed that she had been left with a silent cousin and an infuriating jerk.

"You said, and I quote, have you seen your face? And you wanted me to get help, because you were so concer-"

"I was concerned about Lily, you idiot! What help would you have been, in pain, barely able to see?" Dom retorted quickly. He could be so conceited sometimes. After all of that, Lily, the death eaters, Grace, all he could think of was that she had been concerned about him? Yes, she had been, but only because if affected Lily, and certainly not because she actually cared about him as he seemed to be implying.

"You kicked Nott when I was fighting him."

"What did you expect me to do? Let him kill you? I'm not heartless you know," Dom replied, exasperated that they were even discussing this.

Jakc snorted. "Could've fooled me."

Dom stopped and stared at him, anger present in her narrowed eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing," he chuckled, walking on, enjoying the look of rage and confusion on her face.

"What do you mean, could've fooled me?" she demanded, pulling on his arm so he was facing her.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Nothing, okay? Can't you take a joke?"

She glared at him. "That isn't funny."

"You don't find anything funny."

"Yes, I do."

"Whatever," Jack rolled his eyes, before stalking off towards the Slytherin dormitories.

"I hate him!" Dom said after a few moments to no one in particular, after she was sure he was out of reach. She couldn't have him knowing he had irked her, though she suspected he already did.

"You should just ignore him."

Dom jumped, turning to see Roxy standing before her. She had kind of forgotten she was there, to be honest.

Dom grunted, back to her normal, unbothered self. "Yeah."

Roxy sighed as they continued to walk in silence. Was she that bad to talk to, that even Dom and Jack, who swore they didn't like each other, preferred each other over her? She'd like to think she wasn't.

It was only later in the night as she lay in bed that Grace remembered McGonnagall had said she wanted to see her, but had never shown herself. She scowled as she realized it was probably another one of the headmistresses plots to try and get her to socialize. And now, thanks to her, she was part of Fred's "gang" (whatever that meant) or at least, he thought she was.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Grace was greeted with smiles. Real, bright, genuine smiles. She only stared back at them, confused as to how she should act. On one hand, she knew she could trust her new "friends" now (from a quick look at their inner musings), but on the other hand, she wasn't sure if she wanted friendship. It was strange, she knew, because everyone wanted friendship, to feel a sense of community, of belonging, and a small part of her admittedly wanted it too. But she was so used to living a solitary life, that it scared her, and even irritated now, to live in any other manner. Now that they actually liked her, she was to be included in all conversations, whether she wished to be or not.<p>

By the end of the day, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone to revel in her own thoughts, devoid of any human contact. Of course, she had barely responded whenever she had been spoken to, but they continued to speak to her constantly, pulling her out of her own contemplations. She had always lived in the clouds, dreaming away, not quite on Earth. Now she was regularly being dragged down, despite her best efforts to continue floating seamlessly above.

The rest of Hogwarts was of course, stunned by the change in attitudes of their idols, being out of the loop.

She was about to head up to the common room with the rest of the entourage after dinner, when she was stopped by Professor McGonnagall.

"Ms. Lestrange, can I see you in my office for a minute?"

Grace nodded, knowing McGonnagall had only asked her out of politeness; she had no choice but to go.

"Come in, Ms. Lestrange," McGonnagall smiled kindly as Grace ambled in, "take a seat."

Grace sat down stiffly, taking in the vast objects and decoration in the room. Behind McGonnagall she could see the portraits of the past headmasters and head headmistress, some sleeping, some watching her. She froze as she saw two that were watching her intently. One had a soft smile, and twinkles in his eyes, while the other looked half bored and half..disgusted.

McGonnagall cleared her throat, causing Grace to settle her wandering eyes on the her now sombre face.

"That was very brave of you, Ms. Lestrange."

McGonnagall looked at her earnestly. " I daresay you proved you were a true Gryffindor."

Grace couldn't help but look at her in astonishment. She? A true _Gryffindor_? She couldn't see what was so brave about what she had done; surely the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even a few Slytherins would have done the same?

"Anyone would have done the same," she shrugged, wanting to hear McGonnagall's opinion on this.

"No," McGonnagall shook her head, a smile once again on her face. "Not anyone, and not for anyone. Perhaps for a friend, yes, but you were not obliged in any way to save Lily Potter. Even some Gryffindors I know would not have done what you did."

McGonnagall looked at her seriously when she looked unperturbed. "You could have been killed."

"I didn't know that," Grace protested. Killed? By them? They were powerful, yes, but not _that _powerful. Defeating them had been more challenging, than perhaps, defeating Potter or Weasley would have been, but not _that_ challenging.

"Oh, I am sure you had an inkling. You are quite skilled at legilimency, are you not?" McGonnagall said, and Grace was relieved to see that she didn't look angry, but rather, amused.

"How did you know?"

"I have my ways, Ms. Lestrange," McGonnagall assured her with a wink. "I do hope you have not been venturing into my mind when I have been unaware?"

"No, of course not," Grace said quickly. She was aware legilimency wasn't a very honorable thing to practise, so she tried her best to reserve it for only when she truly needed it. Like with Potter and Wealey and their stupid pranks.

"And I recommend you don't use it on other professors, and especially not in exams," McGonnagall said sternly.

"I won't," Grace promised, hoping McGonnagall would never find out about the numerous times she had usedl egilimency on Longbottom.

"And not on students either."

"I'll try," Grace assured her.

McGonnagall chuckled. "Very well, you may go."

Grace nodded and got up, slightly surprised that their chat had only lasted about a minute or so. She had believed McGonnagall would have more to say.

"Professor," she said, as a thought occurred to her.

McGonnagall glanced up. "Yes, Ms. Lestrange?"

"Do you not think..would it not be a wise idea to tell the rest of the school about this? It will enable them to be better prepared."

McGonnagall nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed, I do think that would be smart, but I am afraid parents will be pulling their children out of school in no time without any need. If the threat continues, I will definitely inform everyone, but for now, those who attacked are either on trial or expelled. We are safe."

Grace nodded and opened the door, only to see Dom standing there, observing her polished nails.

She didn't bother to acknowledge her as she knocked on the door.

Well, at least that hadn't changed.

* * *

><p>"Good evening."<p>

"Good evening professor," Dom replied, sitting herself down without waiting for McGonnagall to suggest she do so. She grabbed a ginger biscuit from the bowl in front of her, munching on it thoughtfully while McGonnagall stared at her amusedly.

"Is something the matter?" McGonnagall asked after a few minutes of listening to Dom chew.

Dom swallowed and nodded. "I didn't see it coming," she frowned.

"I thought so," McGonnagall confessed, momentarily staring off into the space behind Dom, her old face screwed up in concentration.

"Why?" Dom demanded, fearing the worst. Her ability to _see _what was coming was part of her now, like an extra limb that she needed to feel whole. True, there were times she wished she couldn't see what was coming, but usually, her gift was extremely beneficial.

"I am afraid I do not know."

Dom stared at her usually competent headmistress in disbelief, searching her face for answers. "You must know something."

McGonnagall shook her head. "I am sorry, but I cannot help you. At least, not at the moment."

Dom scowled in irritation. "Its not..going away, is it?" she inquired worriedly.

McGonnagall gave her an apologetic smile. "If I knew, I would tell you."

**Please review!**


	6. Quidditch Match

**"Nobody likes being alone that much. I don't go out of my way to make friends, that's all."**

**-Haruki Murakami**

* * *

><p>Grace pushed back her dark hair in vain as she sat slumped alone on the last bench, not sure why she was in the quidditch stands to begin with. She had been finishing her transfiguration essay, when the sounds of cheering and applause had exploded through the window, and try as she might, she couldn't drown them out. Someone was probably in the room of requirement, since it wouldn't open, so it only made sense to spectate with the others. Most of the Potters, Weasleys and Woods were part of the game, so she couldn't be forced to sit with them by McGonnagal. quidditch was a big deal here, it seemed, especially matches concerning Gryffindor and Slytherin.<p>

She sat up straighter as the commentating started.

"WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEASON!"

Grace peered down to see Louis Weasley bellowing into the Hooch was close by and McGonnagal and the other professors seated near the centre of the pitch-the seats with arguably, the best views.

"HERE THEY ARE- THE GRYFFINDORS!"

There was a huge uproar as the team entered, and Louis proceeded to announce members.

"PRESENTING..THE CHASERS, LILY POTTER, DELILAH WOOD, AND DOMINIQUE WEASLEY!"

There was a ton of clapping from the the crowd as they entered,

and some wolf-whistles could be heard from the males as Dom came into view.

AND THE BEATERS, OUR FAVOURITE TWINS, ROXANNE AND FRED WEASLEY!"

The crowd laughed as Fred bowed dramatically, blowing kisses towards one rather enthusiastic supporter who was yelling "I love you Fred Weasley!" over and over again, while Roxy simply blushed and smiled.

"AND HERE COMES THE KEEPER, NONE OTHER THAN HUGO WEASLEY!"

Hugo grinned as the crowd erupted into verses of "Weasley is our king."

"AND LAST, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, OUR STAR SEEKER, THE CAPTAIN OF THE QUIDDITCH TEAM, JAMES POTTER!"

The crowed went absolutely crazy as James sauntered out onto the pitch, waving to his numerous fans. Girls were jumping up and down, waving posters with James Potter written all over them, and Grace swore she even saw McGonngall yelling his name at one point of time.

She zoned back in as Louis began announcing the Slytherin team.

"AND THE SLYTHERINS! READY TO LOOSE YOU- OKAY, OKAY, SORRY!"

Louis quickly apologized as Hooch glared at him, while most of the crowd laughed and murmured in agreement.

"HERE ARE THE CHASERS- CABOT, HAYES, AND CHANG! THE BEATERS- JONES AND MCKINNON, THE KEEPER- MCLAGGEN, AND THE SEEKER AND CAPTAIN, JACK WOOD!"

The Slytherin team did receive cheers, though there were fewer and subdued by boos from the Gryffindors, and several of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Grace watched as James and Jack shook hands, muttering what she supposed were taunts under their breaths before joining their respective teams.

"AND THE QUAFFLE IS RELEASED! LETS GO GO GO!"

Quidditch was a simple game, Grace decided, after half an hour of watching the Quaffle being passed back and forth between the two teams as bludgers were strategically hit at the players. The score was 70-60 to Gryffindor, but there was still no sign of the snitch.

"Hey Gracie," Grace looked up as an excited looking Scorpius plopped down next to her. "I didn't think you would come."

"I didn't plan to," she admitted, shuffling along so he wasn't on the edge of the bench, "but I couldn't do homework with all the noise."

"You spend way too much time studying and doing homework," Scorpius said, his blue eyes carefully watching the game as Slytherin scored.

"I don't have anything else to do," Grace shrugged, turning back to the game. She was trying to avoid the topic, and he knew it.

"You would have more to do if you didn't stay holed up reading in your dormitory all the time," Scorpius pointed out, his tone accusing. "You would certainly have more friends."

"I don't know if you've noticed, Scorpius, but I'm not exactly welcome here."

"You're not exactly hated either, from what I've heard. Apparently, you're part of "the gang" now." Scorpius smirked at her disgruntled expression.

"Fred Weasley likes to think so. As do Delilah, Roxanne and James."

"You say it like its a bad thing."

When she didn't reply, he sighed and fully turned to face her.

"Grace, just give them a chance. Please," he said, grabbing hold of her slim shoulders and looking into her eyes, as she opened her mouth to protest. "You won't regret it, I promise. Look at me- Rose and Albus are my best mates, and I speak with the rest of the family too. They're perfectly nice people, Grace. They won't judge you," he said softly, when she continued to look unconvinced.

"They already did," Grace retorted, remembering the way James and Fred had been awful to her, and the girls, hesitant.

"But they realized they were wrong. They apologized. They're trying to make amends Grace, don't push them away."

"Only because I saved Lily."

Scorpius sighed, exasperated at her stubbornness. "Just let it go, Grace."

"I don't need their pity," Grace glared at him, but he didn't look at all frightened by her cold eyes, her icy expression. He was quite possibly the only one.

"You know they're not pitying you," Scorpius replied, knowing that she would have delved into all of their heads at least once, and avoided them altogether if she found even a trace of something she didn't like. "They just want to be your friend. Look, just try, okay?"

Her face screwed up in contemplation, before she nodded, "I'll think about it."

Then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Did Astoria put you up to this?

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "No, she didn't. Its called being nice Grace. Caring about other people, helping them realize whats best for them? You should try it sometime."

"Now you sound exactly like her. Did she write you a script?"

"Yes Grace, and I just memorized my lines," Scorpius said sarcastically.

"I knew it! Mamas boy," she teased pinching his cheeks.

"Shut up," Scorpius scowled before suddenly brightening. "Hey Rose, Albus, over here!"

He got up and waved his arms so they could see him.

"No," Grace groaned as they made their way over.

"Yes. Be nice," Scorpius commanded.

"I'll try," Grace sniffed, busying herself with her scarf as they greeted Scorpius.

"Hey Grace," Rose smiled, sitting down beside Scorpius.

"Hi," she muttered blandly, wishing Scorpius hadn't called them over.

"Oh, hey Grace," Albus leaned over Rose and Scorpius, grinning widely at her.

She gave him the same weak "hi" she had given Rose, before turning her eyes back to the game. This was going to be a long day.

Another half hour passed, the three Ravenclaws chatting constantly while she did her best to ignore them and they tried to do the opposite to her. It started drizzling, and then suddenly- something gold flashed at the corner of the stadium. The seekers saw it simultaneously, pushing each other harshly in an effort to get to the golden ball first.

The crowd inhaled as Jack reached for the snitch- he had gotten there first- his fingertips brushing it's cool surface, before he was attacked by two bludgers, both at once. There was a loud bang as they hit him on either side, sending him hurtling towards the ground. He tried to regain control of his broom, but he was falling, falling so fast he couldn't think, couldn't act. He braced himself as he neared the ground, closing his eyes, just as someone grabbed him out of the air, pulling him onto her broom.

Jack opened his eyes to see the crowd erupt in cheer and he scowled as Gryffindors hugged each other jubilantly. Clearly, James had caught the snitch.

He turned to his saviour, expecting it to be a teammate or his sister, but almost fell off again when he took in her long blonde hair, her pale skin, the slope of her neck. There was no mistaking it- Dominique Weasley had just saved him.

Dom leapt of we broom, waiting for Jack to start rubbing it in that she had saved him. To her surprise, he just quietly said "thank you" and then walked away towards the castle. He didn't even look back.

"Are you alright?"

Dom blinked, brought out of her daze by the sound of Delilah landing softly beside her.

"Fine," she shrugged cooly, silently reprimanding herself for staring after Jack. "Let's go party."

This was why she hated him, she thought as she followed Delilah off the grounds, because of his mood swings, his erratic behavior. Sometimes she thought they were acquaintances, like when they sparred about her name and fought against Slytherins beside each other, but other times, when his jibes were nothing but downright cruel, she thought they were like enemies. Other times, like now, he pretty much completely ignored her.

It was only him, and that was the problem. To everyone else, she was either royalty, family, or for some Slytherins, simply someone not to be associated with. With Jack, she wasn't sure what she rest were easy; she knew what they do without even having to use her sight, but Jack was different every day, completely unpredictable.

"Where's Grace?" James asked, handing Delilah a drink, his eyes scanning the entire common room.

"Upstairs, I'm guessing," Delilah frowned, throwing her head back as she took a few sips.

"Should we get her?" James wondered. They were having a party after all. He would hate to be left alone when the whole house was downstairs having fun. He supposed she would be too. She was too uncomfortable with the prospect of being around so many new people. He couldn't let his new friend be alone, reading or studying or whatever while they laughed and drank. The gang had to stick together, after all.

"We..could try," Delilah, nodded hesitantly, frowning as she spotted Roxy sitting in a corner alone a few feet away. She would deal with her later, she decided, following James to the girls staircases.

"Okay," Delilah said pulling out her wand, "just this once."

James look confused as she cast a nonverbal spell, and then motioned for him to go on up.

"Did you just-"

He stared at her in disbelief before carefully putting one foot on the first step.

"Sweet," he grinned, when nothing happened.

"Only this once, and don't you dare try it yourself," Delilah warned, pointing her index finger threateningly at him before climbing up the staircase.

He hurried up after her, just in case the spell suddenly stopped working, and stopped as she knocked on the door.

"You're knocking on your own door?" he asked looking at her incredulously as she awaited a reply.

"I'm giving her privacy."

"To do what exactly?"

"I'm just being nice James," Delilah rolled her eyes as she heard a soft "come in" from the other side.

"Hey Grace," Delilah smiled warmly as she took in the girl sitting on her bed, doodling idly on a piece of parchment, "do you want to join us?"

"I brought you a drink," James offered suddenly appearing by Delilah's side. He walked forward slowly, as if expecting another charm against boys, or a hex from either of the two girls, and stopped at the side of Grace's bed. "Here," he held out his drink which he hadn't touched (someone had handed him a _butterbeer, of all drinks)_, hoping she would just take it without a fuss, though he was quite sure she wouldn't. "For you."

She narrowed her eyes distastefully at the drink.

"It's not poison," James assured her, trying not to laugh as she scrutinized the liquid.

"Is it alcoholic?"

James shrugged, wondering if she had a thing against alcohol. Merlin, even Delilah didn't have a thing against alcohol.

"Just a bit."

She wrinkled her nose but accepted the drink all the same.

Grace was truly strange, he decided. Sometimes, like when he had been pranking her, she had teased and even laughed, almost as though she was actually enjoying herself. When she sat with them meals, she never said a word, sometimes just staring blankly into space, while at other times, he caught her mouth twitching at a joke someone had made. She seemed so cold and emotionless at times, but he knew she really wasn't, because she had helped Lily with her homework and of course, saved her.

Lily was such an important part of his life. He didn't know what he would have done, what any of them would have done, if they had lost her. He owed her big time for that, but that want the only reason he wasn't trying to befriend her. She was a good person at heart, a really good person, and James potter made it his business to be friends with good people. He actually liked what little he knew of her-her humor when it came to pranks, how she was both extremely clever and powerful-and he believed he would like her even more if he just managed to get her to break out of her shell.

"C'mon!" James said enthusiastically, "come party with us! You don't have to dance or drink or anything if you don't want to," he quickly assured her as she blinked at his sudden change in behavior. "Seriously, you can just sit there and do nothing if you want. Since you're not doing anything here anyways," he finished nodding at the random scribbles on the parchment on her lap.

He looked up at her face to see her looking back at him. He shivered as their eyes met, a cold tingle running down his spine as her eyes bore into his. How did she do that? What was it? Or was he just imagining things?

"So will you come?" Delilah asked softly, as Grace broke eye contact and took a sip of her drink.

To their surprise, she shrugged and stood up. "Okay."

Grace sat next to Roxy on the couch in the corner, sipping butterbeer while silently observing the scene around her.

There were several things happening in the room which now seemed quite small, since a large number of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had joined the party.

She could see Scorpius with Albus, Rose, and a few other Ravenclaws talking on the other side of the room, oblivious to the fact that she was there. She was glad he was though; he would undoubtedly bring his entourage with him if he spotted her, and then she would be forced to listen to- and Merlin forbid participate in- boring small talk which seemed to last forever.

James, Fred, Louis, and even Delilah could be spotted on the conjured dance floor, while Hugo and Lily were behind the bar, eagerly mixing drinks for people. Lily was fine now, but Grace still kept an eye on her, just in case she was attacked again. She had come to Grace for help multiple times, chirpy and cheerful as ever, proclaiming her the best teacher of them all (something that didn't sit too well with Delilah and James).

Dom was sitting on the other side of room, already on her fourth drink, if Grace had counted correctly. She wondered why Dom didn't just sit next to Roxy, since she wasn't speaking to anyone either. Roxy didn't seem to be too close with anyone, except maybe Fred and Delilah, while James, Delilah and Dom seemed to be best friends. Fred was one of those people who was mates with everyone, including a few Slytherins. People were so complicated, Grace thought idly, not noticing a blonde boy come towards her.

"Hey," Scorpius grinned, perching on the armrest of the couch "I see you took my advice."

"I had nothing better to do."

"Even so," he smirked. "Drink?"

"I'm still on my first one," Grace said, gesturing to her butterbeer.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow at her glass which was still almost full of butterbeer. "That's less alcohol than Rose is having," he made a face at her poor excuse for a drink.

"Well, I don't want to get drunk," Grace defended herself, looking suspiciously at the montage of colour in Scorpius's glass. "What is that?"

"I don't know, mixture of stuff. James made it. And you won't get drunk if you have one glass," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes at her primness. "Honestly, you're almost worse than Rose and Delilah."

"There is nothing bad about abstaining from alcohol," Grace countered, watching disapprovingly as a drunk couple snogged in a corner.

"No, but life is much more fun if you have some."

"Aren't you too young to be drinking?" Grace asked, suspiciously.

Scorpius gulped, paling at the thought of the endless lectures he would get if Astoria ever found out. "Don't tell mum."

"What about Draco?" Grace smirked, as continued to look worried.

"Don't tell him either. He'll end up telling mum."

Grace laughed, but then stopped as she saw Rose making their way over.

She looked at Scorpius. "Leave."

He laughed, shaking his head as she glared at him reproachfully. "Not a chance."

"Hey Scorp, Grace," Rose smiled as she sat down beside Grace, Roxy having left a few minutes after Scorpius had come over.

"Hey Rosie. Where's Al?"

Rose made a face, pointing him out in the crowd. "Dancing. With Lia."

Scorpius's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

Rose shook her head. "I wish I was."

Grace zoned out, wishing they would just go away if they were going to sit with her and have a conversation as though she didn't exist.

"See you later, Gracie," she blinked as Scorpius got up, followed by Rose who flashed a quick smile at her before leaving.

"Hey Grace, want to dance?"

Grace looked up to see James holding his hand out to her expectantly.

She shook get head, hoping he would leave, but he frowned, sitting beside her instead.

"Why not?"

She shrugged and looked ahead, avoiding his curious gaze.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't like dancing," she responded flatly, still looking anywhere but at him- hoping he would take the hint.

Why did people have to be so..annoying? It was so much more peaceful when she was alone.

He considered her for a second before asking, "have you ever even danced?"

"Yes," she lied, praying he would leave her alone now.

"Really?" He raised a brow, "with who?"

"None of your business Potter," she said irritated that he would not stop questioning her.

"James," he corrected. "And it is, because we're friends now, remember?"

She sighed, wishing she hadn't agreed to come down in the first place. Usually James was okay; he left her alone, except for polite pleasantries. He didn't even try too hard to include her in conversations most of the time, but he could be very talkative in classes, often having a one sided conversation with her in which he told her his entire life story whether she wanted it or not. Usually it was Fred and his incessant questioning she had to watch out for, or Delilah's attempts to make conversation, but today James seemed to be taking over both their roles.

"Leave me alone, James."

"I think not, Grace."

"Why not Potter?" She snapped, in frustration while he just looked confused.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Just leave me alone," she said, looking around for an escape route to their dormitories. She wanted to move, but there were so many people snogging, dancing, drinking around the front of the staircase, and she really wasn't in the mood to go ploughing through the drunken crowd.

"No can do," he grinned playfully, in a way that, strangely, reminded her of Scorpius.

She scowled as he smirked at her annoyed expression.

"Do you have nothing better to do?"

"Course not, I need to get to know my new friend better."

"No thank you."

"Why do I feel like this friendship is one-sided?"

She rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him.

He continued speaking for a while, while she successfully drowned him out, before he suddenly yelled in her ear.

"GRACE!"

She flinched and moved away from him, glaring at him as he tried not to laugh. "What!"

"It's rude to ignore people when they're trying to talk to you."

"It's ruder to talk to people when they don't want to talk to you," she retorted, moving as for as she possible could as he tried to get nearer.

He frowned at her as she stared determinedly ahead, trying to ignore him again. "You're never going to make friends this way."

She shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't want to make friends."

He stared at her incredulously, as if she has just said that Quidditch wasn't the best sport in the entire universe.

"Why not?"

She shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Will you stop saying that," she said. He was as infuriating as Scorpius when he purposely tried to irritate her just because he was "bored".

"I will if you stop shrugging," he grinned, his eyes glinting with humor.

She sighed, deciding that she would rather plough through the crowd than sit there with James.

Without a word, she got up, and started pushing and ducking her way through the crowed.

"Bye Gracie!" She heard James yell after her.

Idiot.

"Done bothering Grace?"

James grinned as Rose sat down beside him, a drink in each hand.

He raised a brow. "Two drinks, Rosie?"

She shrugged, looking off into the distance. "I'm bored."

"Where are Al and Scorpius?"

"Al is with Lia, and Scorp.." Rose winced, "he's with Daisy."

James snorted. "Daisy?"

"Yeah, I think he's going to ask her out," she frowned, but quickly changed the topic before he could ask. "So, Grace?"

James sighed.

"She's..difficult. She doesn't want to be friends."

Rose nodded. "I can see that. She doesn't talk to anyone but Scorp. But she's normal with him, you know? Like how we are. I'm just saying that she can be nice and everything, she just chooses not to."

"I know she's nice, I just don't understand why she's so determined not to have a good time."

Rose shrugged. "Maybe she's just shy?"

James shook his head. "Nah. She's not the type. She's just..confusing."

**Please review! Can I just have five? Pleaseeeee!**


	7. Threats

**The shortest distance between new friends is a smile.**  
><strong>~ Unknown<strong>

* * *

><p>"You will have to do this project with a partner. I expect to see you working with someone new. You may pick a partner, and begin."<br>James and Fred were by Grace's side in a flash.  
>They stared at each other, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, as Grace tried to find a way to get out of this. She didn't need a partner. The project wasn't complicated, they were only making a number of potions over a few weeks. It was nothing she couldn't do herself.<br>"And before anyone asks, yes, you do have to work with a partner."  
>Professor Macmillan smirked as he heard groans and complaints from across the room. This would keep them from causing too much trouble, he thought, looking over his students. He had half Slytherins and half Gryffindors, not to mention James Potter, Jack Wood and Fred Weasley. There was also the Lestrange girl. He almost laughed as he saw her disgruntled expression while Potter and Weasley argued over who was partnering her.<br>This year was not going to be easy.

Grace scowled, while James and Fred argued beside her.  
>"Boys," Delilah interrupted, her hands on her hips, "let Grace choose."<br>They both shut up and looked at Grace with the most sweet, innocent expressions they could muster.  
>Grace regarded them carefully, wondering who would be easier to deal with. Fred was nice, they both were, but he would not stop pestering her. But neither would James, she frowned. They were both quite lazy too. But James was definitely smarter, and he actually cared about his grades, while Fred seemed to think classes were simply a pastime. James it was.<br>"James," she said, turning to get the ingredients for the first potion.  
>Fred scowled and walked away as James whooped, before following Grace. This was going to be great fun.<br>Delilah rolled her eyes, silently wishing both their partners good luck before following her own partner, Chris McKinnon, who she knew to be one of Jack's closest friends to a table.  
>Dom didn't bother trying to find a partner, scribbling aimlessly on her parchment instead. She would be with whoever asked her. Or, she suspected, with whoever was left. She was unaware, that across the room, Jack Wood was doing exactly the same. Neither of them noticed that in the next few minutes, everyone but the two of them had a partner.<br>"All done?" Macmillan asked, checking everyone was beside someone they hadn't ever been with before. He stopped when he noticed Dom still sitting by herself. She had thought herself lucky, that there was somehow an unequal number meaning that she didn't have to be with anyone. Jack had thought the same.  
>"Ah, , alone I see..hmmm..oh!" Dom looked up to see the professor looking delightedly at someone sitting at the other side of the room. "So is Mr. Wood. Well it's settled then, you too are together."<br>They both stared at each other in horror, before bursting out into complaints at the same time.  
>"But-"<br>"There is no way-"  
>"Never will I"<br>"No-"  
>"You can't do this!"<br>"Silence!" Macmillan yelled over their voices. "I can and I will. Now, , kindly move to the seat beside ." He turned to the test of the class who had stopped to watch. "Everyone else, please continue."  
>Dom glared at Jack as she grabbed her things and made her way over to the "dark side", as Fred liked to call it. Jack glared back at her, and she was surprised to see he wasn't smirking at her in his teasing way like he usually was.<br>"I'm not writing," He said, referring to the observations they had to write about their potions.  
>"Fine," she shrugged,"I'm not making the potion."<br>"Fine."  
>He left to get the ingredients, leaving Dom with most of the Slytherins and a few Gryffindors. She could see Delilah on the other side of the room, already half done, and James trying to talk to Grace who actually seemed to be replying. Fred had been lucky enough to find a Gryffindor he hadn't been with before, as had Roxy.<br>Jack came back and begin adding ingredients and stirring the potion. He was done in fifteen minutes, leaving Dom surprised. She hadn't known he was so good at potions. She began writing the potion up, as he moved away to speak to his friends at the next table.  
>"Having fun?" She heard a brunette ask, smirking in her direction.<br>Jack scowled. "Loads."  
>"Oh c'mon, she can't be so bad," a short girl with a bob piped up, receiving incredulous looks from the others. "She is your sister's friend," the girl pointed out.<br>"And she's hot," a Slytherin who Dom didn't know said. He was partners with Cabot, while Hayes was chatting with them, making her partner do all the work.  
>Jack snorted. "She's average. And you know how Lilah is. She's nice to everyone."<br>"What about the other Weasley girl? You could have gone with her," the guy motioned to Roxy.  
>Jack shrugged. "Yeah, she'd be way better than Dominique."<br>Dom actually looked up and stared. Seriously? Average? Roxy better than her?  
>The girl with the bob frowned. "I saw you talking to Dom Weasley last week."<br>"I went to talk to Lilah."  
>"But you talked to her."<br>Jack shrugged. "I had blackmail information."  
>The other girl smirked. "You're becoming more and more Slytherin each year."<br>Jack rolled his eyes. "Obviously. I am in Slytherin, aren't I? And quit stereotyping."  
>It was the girl's turn to roll her eyes. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"<br>Jack opened his mouth to respond, but Macmillan cut across, announcing that they done a good job, and to leave their reports on his desk.  
>Dom placed the report on his desk, and walked out the door, waiting for Delilah and James to come out.<br>She watched as Jack walked out with the two girls and McKinnon, laughing as he did so.  
>She felt oddly betrayed by what he had said about her. Roxy better than her? She didn't want to be mean, but honestly, nobody would say Roxy was a better sight than her. And at least she talked to him, unlike Roxy, even though they only argued. Yes, they argued, yes they fought, but they had also fought the Slytherins together, and almost had a normal conversation (kind of) after that, with the light kind of teasing that wasn't too harmful. Of course, he had something horrible and walked away, but that's just how the two of them were. It was like their way of saying goodbye to each other. She had even saved his life, for Merlin's sake, and how had he repaid her? Why couldn't he just be normal, keep one attitude towards her? Why couldn't he just decide, once and for all, whether they were friends or enemies?<br>She shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. It didn't matter. He didn't matter. Hardly anyone did.

"Well? How did it go with Grace?" Delilah inquired quickly, as Grace walked towards them.  
>"She likes me," James grinned at Grace who had just joined them.<br>"Righhht," Delilah gave him a look.  
>"You're delusional," Dom informed him.<br>They began walking towards the dining hall, potions being the last lesson before dinner.  
>"How was Jack?"<br>"Horrible, stupid, idiotic, moronic, annoying, irritating- I can't stand him," Dom growled, as Delilah and James shared looks.  
>"He didn't..do anything, did he?" Delilah asked carefully. Dom rarely shared details about her life with them, especially when it concerned Jack.<br>"No."  
>"It's just.." Delilah hesitated, looking at James for help, but he quickly rushed ahead of them to Fred and Roxy, laughing as Delilah gave him an annoyed look.<br>Dom raised an eyebrow. "Spit it out, Wood."  
>"You're being..especially verbal about your dislike for him today."<br>Dom paused, frowning as she replayed Delilah's accusation in her mind. She didn't feel like she was acting any different. She was just annoyed because Jack had complained to his fellow Slytherins about her, that's all.  
>"I just realized how much of an idiot he was," Dom shrugged nonchalantly. "How was McKinnon?"<br>She asked, changing the topic before Delilah could question her any further.

"What is your favourite chocolate from honeydukes? Do you collect chocolate frog cards? Do you like flying? Do you play quidditch? What's your favorite team?"  
>"Fred, stop bothering her," Delilah said, as Fred shot question after question at Grace without waiting for her answer.<br>"I'm not bothering her," Fred explained, looking affronted. "We're having a conversation."  
>"How is it a conversation if you're the only one talking?"<br>"Hey! Grace is talking too!"  
>Fred looked at Grace for affirmation, but she just rolled her eyes and continued to eat.<br>"She hasn't said a word since she asked for potatoes, Fred," Dom deadpanned, bored with the discussion that happened everyday.  
>Fred frowned. "Grace, say something."<br>"No."  
>"Ha! You just did!"<br>"You can be so immature, Fred," Delilah said, while Grace went back to ignoring him.  
>"You can be so..proper!" Fred shot back.<br>"How is that an insult?"  
>"It's a polite way of saying you're boring."<br>Delilah rolled her eyes at him as James, Dom and Roxy laughed. "I know for a fact that I am not."  
>"You are."<br>"Why are you friends with me if I'm so boring?"  
>Fred paused, and then said, "because you're useful."<br>Delilah raise an eyebrow. "I'm useful?"  
>"Okay, guys," James interjected, exchanging nervous looks with Roxy, "let's talk about something else."<br>"Wait," Delilah held her hand up towards James, her narrowed eyes focused on Fred. "How exactly am I useful?"  
>"Eh.." Fred hesitated, shooting James, Roxy and Dom looks begging for help. They just smirked back at him- refusal.<br>"You know..when you let me copy off some of your essay and stuff."  
>"Right, well, you're never doing that again."<br>"What!" Fred yelped as the others laughed. James could have sworn he saw Grace chuckle, but when he looked again, her expression was blank as usual. "I was kidding! You're not just useful..you're helpful too! Like when I broke James's toy snitch in third year and you fixed it before he could find out! "  
>Roxy and Dom laughed again, as James looked scandalised, "what? When did this happen?"<br>"Nice to know I'm appreciated for the right reasons," Delilah snorted.  
>Fred studied her now serious face for a minute before blurting out, "you're not actually angry, are you? Because I was really just pulling your leg.."<br>Delilah laughed. "No Fred, I know you were kidding."  
>Free breathed a sigh of relief. He hesitated a moment before- "Does this mean I can still copy your essays?"<br>James, Roxy, and Dom laughed as Delilah whacked him on the head, and this time, Grace couldn't help but join in too.

* * *

><p>"So, do you like Quidditch?" James asked Grace later, as they sat next to each other in DADA, barely paying attention- theory lessons were never captivating.<br>"No." She said simply, looking out of the window. She had learned it was easier to just answer his questions- he tended to keep asking the same one until she replied, or he would keep talking about himself. She suspected he knew it drove her mad. He was still less annoying than Fred though.  
>"Why?" He looked horrified. "What's there not to like about quidditch?"<br>She shrugged. "It gets boring after ten minutes."  
>James glared at her as if she had just insulted him personally, not quidditch. "Take that back."<br>"No."  
>"Quidditch is never boring! That's impossible! What matches have you watched, anyway?"<br>"Only Gryffindor versus Slytherin."  
>James gaped at her, though she was facing away from him. "You need to watch more quidditch."<br>"No thanks, it's too boring," she said, enjoying the mixture of shock and confusion on his face.  
>"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."<br>"I'm entitled to my own opinion," Grace pointed out.  
>"Well..your opinion sucks," he responded, causing Grace to roll her eyes. James was surprised she was giving in more than monosyllabic answers. Usually it was that, or ignoring him.<br>"So then, what do you like?" He asked interestedly, nodding at whatever Knuxdon was saying.  
>"Books," she answered honestly, wondering what, if anything, he had to say about the subject.<br>"Me too," James grinned. "See,we gave something in common."  
>"Really," Grace arched a brow, "what's your favorite book?"<br>"Quidditch though the ages."  
>"That's hardly a book," Grace said, almost laughing at the look on James's face.<br>"Okay, that's twice you've insulted Quidditch. This has to stop." He paused, racking his brains for another book. "I have also read fantastic beasts and where to find them," he announced, rather proudly.  
>"Again, hardly a book."<br>"How dare you! Fine, I've also read the Tales of Beedle the Bard."  
>"Children's book," she laughed as James scowled at her.<br>"Potter! Turn around right now."  
>James quickly turned around and faced the front, to see Knuxdon looking livid.<br>" , since you have spent the last ten minutes chatting with ," the class all turned to stare at this, "I assume you already know this material. Please, could you tell me what spell repels a Lethifold?" Professor Knudox asked, his dark eyes piercing James's hazel ones.  
>" ?" Knudox's lips curved into a sneer as he watched James struggle to provide an answer.<br>"Oh..Er.." James pretended to think.  
>As subtly as he could, he nudged Grace.<br>"Help," he whispered.  
>"Patronus charm," she whispered back.<br>"The patronus charm," James answered confidently.  
>"Why, thank you , but I don't remember asking you the question. Detention, tonight, my office."<br>Grace's mouth fell open.  
>"What!" James exclaimed. "You can't give her detention! She was just helping me," he said angrily.<br>"I can do what I like, , and I expect to see you tonight too. My office, five o'clock."  
>"But-"<br>"Another word and the rest of your peers will be joining you."  
>James shut his mouth and glared a Knuxdon. He had a good idea of who the victim of their next prank would be.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ready for some fun?" James grinned, as Knuxdon closed the door behind him. They were to polish the trophies in the trophy room, without magic, of course.<br>"Fun?" Grace said, looking at James incredulously.  
>He stared at get for a second, registering the change in her behavior. A few days ago, she would have ignored him. "You're very talkative today," he said lightly, praying his observation would not cause her to revert to her old behavior. She looked unsure of what to say, but then decided to say nothing at all, turning to face away from him instead.<br>To his surprise, she then took out her wand.  
>"Is that your real wand?"<br>"Yes."  
>"But Knuxdon said we had to hand our wands over."<br>She shrugged, casting a spell on one trophy, leaving it gleaming brightly.  
>"I gave him a fake wand."<br>He gaped at her for a moment, surprised that the idea had occurred to her do early on, before producing his own. "So did I," he beamed, pointing his wand at another trophy.  
>They were done on five minutes, but of course they couldn't leave, as polishing the trophies by hand would have taken at least two hours.<br>Grace sat down on a desk, leaning her back against the wall. This was such a waste of time, just like half the school hours were.  
>"Now what?" James said, sitting on a desk on the opposite side of the room, mirroring her pose.<br>She shrugged, horrified, as she realized she was stuck with James in a classroom for the next two hours.  
>"We could play exploding snap," he offered, pulling out the cards from his pocket.<br>"Okay," she replied, as he moved to a desk closer to hers. It was better than doing nothing, and hopefully, it would keep him quiet for sometime.  
>An hour and several games later, James gathered the cards and stuffed them back in his pocket, sighing as he caught sight of the time.<br>"I'm bored," he stated, wishing he had brought the foldable mini chess set his uncle George had given him for Christmas last year.  
>Grace nodded in agreement.<br>They both leapt up as they heard a loud crash from outside the classroom, followed by a scream, James fearing the worst. They were near the dungeons. He pulled out his wand, fuming silently at the thought of the Slytherins attaching Lily again. He ran out, followed closely by Grace, and for a moment they just stood outside the classroom, trying to decide which way the sound was coming from.  
>"This way," Grace yelled running to the left. James followed behind, sprinting faster as he heard multiple voices yelling and screaming.<br>She stopped outside a classroom, blinking in confusion at the sight before her and James begin to move in front of her, before he saw what she was looking at.  
>There were three Slytherins on the floor, two standing up- McKinnon and Cabot, James knew from Quidditch-, a frazzled looking Roxy with cuts and bruises along her arms, and in the middle of it all, was Dom yelling at Jack, both of them seemingly unhurt.<br>"What-" James started, watching the scene with wide eyes.  
>"Don't ask, Potter," Cabot sighed, levitating one of the Slytherins. "We need to get them to McGonnagal. C'mon, Chris."<br>McKinnon levitated the other Slytherin, and James began to follow their example but was stopped by Grace.  
>"You see to Roxanne, I'll help with the Slytherins," she said, levitating the remaining Slytherin.<br>He nodded gratefully, before rushing over to Roxy, who was leaning wearily against the wall, watching Dom and Jack have a go at each other.  
>"You okay?" He asked, taking one of her arms, and examining it.<br>"Fine," she nodded. "Just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing major."  
>James healed her arms and looked over at the other two. "What about them?"<br>"Dom might be hurt, but Jack should be fine."  
>James nodded. "Let's go."<br>"What about them?"  
>James sighed. "There are more important things to deal with right now."<p>

Dom had simply gone for a walk, when she had heard the unmistakeable sound of a scream coming from the direction of the dungeons.  
>Immediately, she had begun running towards the dungeons, fearing another attack on Lily.<br>She had pulled out her wand, ready to strike, when she had noticed that  
>there were different attackers this time. Not only that- there was also a different victim.<br>Brown hair- Delilah?  
>No, it was Roxy.<br>It was wrong, but relief had flooded her, relief that it had not been Lily or Delilah.  
>She had gone forward, striking the Slytherin that was standing to the side, watching his friends do the job. He hadn't seen it coming- he fell to the ground in a few seconds.<br>Roxy had been having a hard time battling two, but thankfully they didn't seem very strong.  
>Dom had taken on one of them, as Roxy had given her a relieved look.<br>Perhaps they had been wrong about the Slytherins, for soon both Roxy's and Dom's wands were in their hands.  
>Dom had screamed and tried to kick free, as Roxy had thrashed wildly, smacking the Slytherin right on his nose. The burly bloke holding her had gripped her more tightly, pulling back her hair until she screamed in pain.<br>Roxy had not seen, since she had been facing the other way, screaming and thrashing, but Dom had watched as Jack Wood had quietly crept up, surveying their positions. He had seen Roxy first, he had noticed she was in greater pain than Dom, who had repeatedly managed to kick her captor in the shins, and once, even on his nuts. But when he had noticed Dom, his dark eyes had widened, and he had rushed to her, furious. He had pulled back his arm, and knocked out the Slytherin, who could not get out his wand in time, with a single punch.  
>For a moment he had stared at her, looking at her up and down (to make sure she was okay), and she had stared at his large hands, his red knuckles, wondering how he could hit so hard. She doubted James or Fred could knock someone out like that. They weren't exactly muscular like Jack was. It had seemed effortless for him. For a moment, she had actually admired his strength.<br>But then she had heard a whimper, and she had realized that Roxy was still vainly trying to get out of the Slytherin's clutches, while he was trying to surreptitiously drag her away.  
>She had quickly sprung into action, sending multiple spells at the Slytherin- many of which hit Roxy instead- and Jack had quickly followed. She had been about to suggest he find some way to punch the other Slytherin too, before a stunning spell from her wand hit the Slytherin, and he fell to the ground.<br>Roxy staggered over to them, as Cabot and McKinnon came into view, followed shortly by James and Grace.

They watched as Dom turned to glare at Jack.  
>"What?" He asked, looking surprised. He had expected a look of pure gratefulness, not pure anger.<br>"I can't believe you!" She snapped.  
>"What?" He asked again, confused as he rubbed and blew on his knuckles.<br>"I can't believe you saved me, you idiot!"  
>He looked at her like she was mad. "You should be happy I did, Dominique," he tried.<br>"Happy! Why did you save me? Why didn't you save her!" She pointed at Roxy, who was standing at a safe distance, looking just as confused as Jack was.  
>He raised an eyebrow. "Does it matter? You both needed help," he shrugged, beginning to walk away.<br>But she pulled him back. "Yes, it does matter," she glared at him, looking angrier than he had ever seen her.  
>"She needed more help than I did! And if I'm really as bad as you say I am, why save me first?" She glared at him. "I thought she was better than me," she spoke harshly, stressing the word.<br>His eyes widened as he realized she had heard their conversation. He didn't see why she was so pissed though..it wasn't like she went around complimenting him. He tried to think about how he would feel if she has talked about him like that. He doubted he'd care. He would probably expect her to say things like that.  
>"I don't see why you're so mad, Dominique," he said calmly, watching as she grew even angrier, "it's not like you would have said anything different."<br>He watched her contemplate this, and then realise it was true. Behind her, he could see his friends and Lestrange levitating the Slytherins away, while Potter pulled Weasley along with him.  
>"Why save me then," she said quietly, in a tone he didn't know quite what to make of. She sounded..angry, sad, hurt, inquisitive, all at the same time.<br>He shrugged and turned away. "Maybe I didn't mean it."  
>"Then why say it?" She asked, as he began to walk away.<br>"Does it matter?" He rolled his eyes back at her.  
>"See ya later, Dominique."<br>"Stop calling me that, you arsehole!"  
>He chuckled as he heard her yell after him and stomp away in the other direction, swearing under her breath.<p>

* * *

><p>"Anyone know the password?" Cabot asked as the three of them stood next to the gargoyle, with the Slytherins.<br>"No," McKinnon replied.  
>Grace shook her head, and they continued to wait in an awkward silence.<br>Thankfully, McGonnagal chose to exit her office right then.  
>"Another attack?" She said, alarmed at the sight of three students levitating three others who looked hurt outside her office.<br>Cabot, McKinnon and Grace nodded.  
>McGonnagal turned around and softly muttered the password so that they couldn't hear it, before ushering them up.<br>She told them to drop the attackers on the sofa, and then to take a seat.  
>"What happened?" She asked, troubled by the fact that there were more attackers.<br>"We don't know, professor," Cabot explained, "we arrived after Dominique Weasley, Roxanne Weasley and Jack Wood had stunned them. I think they were attacking the Weasleys."  
>McKinnon and Grace nodded in agreement.<br>"Very well," McGonnagal said thoughtfully. "Ms. Cabot, , you two can go. Please tell to see me this instant. The Weasley girls too, if you happen to come by them. Thank you."  
>McKinnon and Cabot nodded and left.<br>McGonnagal turned to Grace. "Was involved?"  
>Grace nodded.<br>"Did the two of you help?"  
>She shook her head. "We were too late."<br>"And where is ?"  
>"He took Roxanne to the common room."<br>"And Dominique, is she fine?"  
>Grace nodded, unsure. "I think so," she said, deciding she must be if she had been yelling at Jack.<br>"Very well," McGonnagal nodded.  
>"We need better security. And," she looked at Grace carefully, "better training."<br>"Training?" Grace asked, wondering why she was being told this.  
>"Yes," McGonnagal nodded, thoughtfully, "students need to know how to defend themselves better. Defense against the Dark Arts classes still aren't enough, it seems, especially for younger students. They need more practice of how to react quickly when they are under pressure."<br>"Are you suggesting extra classes?" Grace asked leaning forward on her chair, intrigued. The situation must be serious, if they needed extra classes.  
>"Yes, but the muggle way should be taught too," McGonnagal added, scribbling something down on a piece of parchment lying on her desk.<br>"The muggle way?" Grace asked dubiously. Spells were so much more effective, working in a long range and all.  
>"Indeed. I suppose would be a good teacher in that aspect," she said, scrawling his name.<br>Grace frowned at her. "Student teachers?"  
>McGonnagal smiled. "Who better to teach students than students themselves? I believe they learn better. It would also make it less like a class."<br>She paused and regarded Grace carefully. "You would be a good candidate for teaching the normal way."  
>Grace blinked. "Me?"<br>"Yes. You would be very good, I think. As would . Hmm.."  
>Grace opened her mouth to ask McGonnagal if she was out of her mind- as politely as possible- but a knock interrupted them.<br>"Come in," McGonnagal called.  
>Jack sauntered in, raising a brow as he saw Grace, who quickly got up.<br>"May I go now?" She asked as Jack took a seat.  
>McGonnagal nodded. "Oh, yes, yes. I shall discuss this matter with you and later."<br>Grace nodded and practically ran out, ignoring the puzzled look Jack gave her.

* * *

><p>"James!" She called as soon as she entered the common room. "James!"<br>"Merlin, Grace, calm down. I'm right here," James had gotten up from the love-seat nearest to the portrait hole and grabbed her arm. He sat down again, pulling her down next to him.  
>"What happened?"<br>She ignored Dom's raised eyebrow, and the quizzical looks from the other three, speaking only to James.  
>"McGonnagal wants to start extra defense classes for all students. She wants us to teach them."<br>James froze, his eyes widening as he took it all in. "He wants us-you and me- to teach other students defense?" He asked slowly, as if he might have heard her wrong.  
>She nodded. "She also wants Wood to teach them the muggle way of fighting."<br>"What?"  
>Grace turned to see Delilah looking very shocked. "Jack?"<br>She nodded quickly, turning back to James who was frowning.  
>"I need to tell dad," he said, getting up. He began pacing, running his hands through his hair.<br>"James, what-" Fred began, but James was looking at Delilah and Dom.  
>"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"<br>They both nodded, Delilah looking extremely worried.  
>"What-" Fred tried again.<br>"I have floo powder," Dom interjected, standing up.  
>James shook his head. "Too many people."<br>"Right him a letter," Delilah suggested, also standing up.  
>James nodded, and Delilah ran up to get parchment and quill.<br>"What should I say?" James asked, when she was back. They all gathered around him, Delilah and Dom spurting out sentences, while Grace, Roxy and Fred looked on confused.  
>"Why are you telling your father?" Grace finally asked.<br>James stopped and looked up at her, wondering how to explain.  
>"What McGonnagal is suggesting..it's like," he hesitated. "Dumbledore's army."<br>Grace's eyes widened. "You think we need..something like that-"  
>"No," James shook his head, "but McGonnagal does. We need to know what dad thinks, before we form our own opinions."<br>Grace nodded, and James continued writing.  
>"It's strange," Delilah frowned, "that these attacks only started happening this year."<br>Fred and Roxy nodded in agreement. Dom cleared her throat, calling for James and Delilah.  
>"What?" They asked, knowing she was trying to surreptitiously tell them something.<br>It was subtle, extremely subtle, but Grace saw the way Dom quickly glanced at her, and then away again.  
>Delilah's eyes widened as she realized what Dom was trying to convey. "No."<br>"No," James agreed firmly.  
>Dom rolled her eyes. "Write it."<br>"Dom-"  
>"You can't just rule it out as a possibility because you're too nice," she said exasperatedly.<br>James and Delilah looked at each other, trying to decide, veering towards no.  
>Grace cleared her throat, and this time they all looked at her. "Write it."<br>The three of them stared at her, slightly embarrassed she knew. "It doesn't mean I had anything to do with it," she quickly said, "but it is possible that I was indirectly part of it."  
>James nodded, and started writing again, as Delilah smiled at her warmly. "Of course you didn't have anything to do with it."<br>"She obviously didn't," Fred spoke up, "because she saved Lily."  
>"It's part of her master plan," Dom explained, "first, she gets in our good books. Then, she strikes."<br>Delilah gave her a reprimanding look, and advised Grace to ignore her.  
>"It's always those you least suspect," Dom muttered under her breath, "and when you least suspect it."<br>"Seriously, just ignore her," Delilah said again, "she has an overactive imagination. Grace nodded, feeling slightly offended, but seeing her logic all the same.  
>But Dom's words wouldn't leave the others. She was a Lestrange, after all. Albeit, quite a strange one.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


	8. Why

**Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.**

**- Sun Tzu**

* * *

><p>"He replied!" James yelled, holding up the letter as if it was the quidditch cup. Finally, after what seemed like forever but was really only a week, Harry had replied. He stopped to see the entire breakfast hall staring at him, including the professors. "Sorry," he grinned. "You can go back to your breakfasts."<p>

He turned to Delilah, Dom, Fred,and Roxy. "C'mon guys," he said, standing up. "Let's read it."

He looked around frowning. "Where's Grace?"

"Ravenclaw table," Dom said, pointing to where Grace was sitting beside Scorpius, looking uncharacteristically cheerful.

James started towards the Ravenclaw table, but Delilah pulled him back. "James," she said slowly, "are you sure that it's a good idea to share this with her?"

James opened his mouth to say that of course it was, because they were friends now, and he wasn't going to believe the nonsense about Grace being the cause if attacks before realizing what she was implying. He turned to his letter, opened the seal and pulled it out. He quickly scanned down it, ignoring the others as they asked him what exactly he was doing.

"Yes," he said, folding the letter again, "it's fine."

"You sure?" Dom asked, glancing over at Grace who was now speaking very quietly with Scorpius.

James nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>"So," Fred asked excitedly, as they all sat together in the room of requirement for privacy, "what does it say?"<p>

James wrinkled his brow as he finished reading the letter for the third time, disappointed with the contents.

"Nothing," he said to the eager looking teenagers surrounding him. "Nothing at all."

"What do you mean, nothing?" Dom asked, peering over his shoulder from where she was sitting beside him.

"Dad says all these attacks are just a few Slytherins having 'fun'. He says they're hardly a real threat, and that death eaters definitely don't exist anymore in this day and age. He suggests we should try and stop the attacks, but that they're nothing to be too worried about."

"That's strange," Delilah commented with a frown, "after what happened with Lily I thought your dad would have taken this more seriously."

"I don't think he's telling the truth," Roxy said, Fred nodding along to her words.

"I don't think he is either," James scowled. "He never takes this long to reply. And his letters are hardly ever this short. He's definitely keeping something from us."

"That isn't like uncle Harry," Fred said thoughtfully. If there was one person they could always count on to tell the truth, it was definitely Harry. He was adamant that nothing be kept from the children, that they weren't given any false promises or lies in exchange for their questions or worries. Usually, he told them every single detail of the harsh truth, no matter how bad it was. He believes lies weren't protection; the truth was.

"It doesn't," Dom agreed, looking at James for his opinion. He nodded, looking very worried. If his father wouldn't tell them what was really happening..either it was something really, really awful, or he didn't know for himself. James wasn't sure which was worse.

"So, um, what are we going to do?" Delilah asked, looking from James to Fred to Dom.

It was Grace who spoke up.

"We need to get to the bottom of this," she said with grim determination.

They all watched, surprised by the sudden change in her behavior. The way she said "we" made it sound like she actually wanted to be part of their gang, like she actually belonged to it. And they had never witnessed this authoritarian side to her.

She stood up and paced about, eyes closed, until a whiteboard appeared behind her.

She looked at it confusedly, as did the rest of them, until Delilah explained that it was a muggle contraption, which they used to write on with the markers that had now appeared.

Grace nodded and grabbed one. She wrote "attacks" on the board, and then turned to face them.

"Right," she said. First things first. When, where, who, how, what."

They all just stared at her for a second, before Delilah caught on.

"Two weeks ago, first floor hallway, Lily, Slytherins who came especially for this."

Grace nodded and wrote all she had said down. "And the other attack?"

"A weeks ago, near the dungeons, Roxy, Slytherins."

Grace wrote that down too, and then turned around to face them.

"Who else was there?"

"James, you, me, and Jack," Dom replied. They were all watching carefully, wondering where Grace was going with this.

Grace nodded, scribbling their names. "Now," she turned around and stared at them. "Why were Lily and Roxanne attacked? Is it a coincidence that the victims are both from the same family, or is it just that they were both in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"They were both alone," Delilah said thoughtfully, "and in places where no one was there to help them, so it could be a coincidence."

James snorted. "C'mon. We're Weasleys and Potters. It's that simple. I mean Nott was sent here to attack. They wouldn't have sent him to attack anyone, they would have sent him for a reason. They would have sent him for revenge," he said grimly, feeling very sure of himself.

"Who is they?" Grace inquired, looking intently at him.

"What?" He asked, coming out of his reverie.

"You said they sent him. Who is this they?"

He blinked. "I..have absolutely no idea."

Grace nodded solemnly. "That's what we have to find out."

"How?" Dom questioned. It all seemed very ambiguous to her, but beside her she could see Delilah concentrating, formulating a plan in that brilliant brain of hers.

"We need to start at the beginning," Delilah said sensibly. She stood up and walked over to Grace, who handed over the marker and board to her, taking her seat.

"Roxy, what were you doing when you were attacked?"

"Eh.." Roxy hesitated. "I was just going for a walk, I guess."

"Near the dungeons?" Fred asked incredulously.

"No..I was going to go outside," she said, but Fred continued to stare at her suspiciously. She was lying, she would never have gone outside alone, and he knew it. But she couldn't very well tell him the truth, could she? She couldn't tell him she had gone that way hoping to get a glimpse of Jack. She couldn't tell anyone that. They would all think she was mad, infatuated with a boy she barely knew, a boy who barely acknowledged her existence. But she couldn't help it. It was ridiculous, but seeing him, even for just a second, made her day a billion times better. She liked him-no she loved him, and someday he would love her too. She was ninety nine percent sure of it.

"Okay," Delilah said, writing it down. "Dom, Grace, James, why did you all end up there?"

"I heard Roxy screaming," Dom explained.

"We were in detention when we heard something fall, and then Roxy scream," James said, while Grace nodded to his words.

"Right," Delilah said, "and what about Jack?"

Dom frowned. "He knew Lily was being attacked."

"Did he know Roxy was?" Fred asked.

Dom shrugged. "I don't know. But he said Cooper told him Lily was being attacked. Cooper isn't..like them, so someone must have told Cooper, or he must have heard."

"Or he saw Lily being attacked," James added.

"No," Delilah shook her head, "he would have done something if he saw her."

"We can't be sure of that," Dom pointed out.

"I know Cooper," Delilah assured them. "He hexed a Slytherin five years older than him in first year, because the Slytherin said something nasty to me. Trust me, he would have done something."

"Okay, so he knew. He told Jack, who told Dom, and they tried to save Lily," James summarised.

"But how did Jack know the second time?" Fred said.

"He didn't," Dom replied. "He must have heard Roxy scream too. The Slytherin common room isn't far from where we were."

"And then he saved you,"

Roxy said quietly. It hurt. It hurt so much.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" James raised a brow at Dom.

Dom shrugged. "What? He had to save one of us first. He saved me. Nothing's up with anything," she said firmly, watching Roxy's somber face.

"I thought he hated you?" Fred asked, looking confused.

Dom rolled her eyes. "He does. That doesn't mean he would let the Slytherins attack me. He's not a bad person."

They were all staring at her, astonished she has admitted such a thing.

"Yes, but he still saved you first. Before Roxy."

"Why does it matter?" Dom snapped, irritated that they wouldn't just leave the matter alone. "I saved him when he fell, didn't I? You lot didn't interrogate me then. There are much more important things to worry about right now."

Grace nodded, not seeing what the big deal was herself. "She's right."

"I think we should talk to Jack," Delilah said. "And then Cooper. Then we'll talk to Lily. We need to find out as much as we can. We need detail, and we need the bigger picture."

They all nodded in agreement.

"And we need to consider that both the victims were girls. Coincidence?" Grace looked around for the other's opinions.

"I think so," Dom said. "They simply attacked whoever was alone, whoever was the most vulnerable."

"They couldn't have targeted anyone," Delilah agreed. "How could they have known they would catch Lily and Roxy alone."

"Maybe they have a map. Maybe they were spying on us, and decided they would hurt those two. But if they did target them, why Roxy and Lily?" James frowned.

Dom had a pretty good idea why- they were both weak, physically, and at magic. It was okay for Lily- she was only in her second year, but it would undoubtedly hurt Roxy's feelings, earning her a lecture on behaviour from Delilah later on. She looked at James, who looked like he was thinking the same thing, but was just as hesitant as her to voice it. Grace, on the other hand, clearly had no such restrictions.

"Lily would obviously be the easiest to attack," Grace explained. "She is the youngest, weakest, and smallest."

She looked at Roxy. "They must have realised you were as weak as Lily. You're not much bigger either. They must have realised you'd be easy too."

Delilah stared at her. She had less tact than Dom and James combined, and that was really saying something. Dom was trying not to laugh, and there was a hint of a smile on James's face. Fred looked like he didn't know whether to be angry or agree, and Roxy was trying to act like she hadn't just been majorly insulted. "Umm..er..I-I" Roxy stuttered, hurt, and unsure how to respond. "I guess.. I'm not..that..strong," she mumbled awkwardly, as the rest of them avoided meeting each gazes.

Grace nodded. "I thought so."

There was an uncomfortable silence, before Delilah quickly intercepted.

"Right, so, let's talk to Jack and Lily?"

"Now?" Fred asked.

"Yeah let's do it now," James jumped up eagerly. "The sooner we figure out who's behind this, the better."

They all stood up and followed James out of the room.

"Any idea where Jack might be?" James asked Delilah.

"I'm guessing the Slytherin common room," Delilah replied, leading the way.

Minutes later, they stood outside the door of the Slytherin common room, wondering what to do next.

"Don't you know the password?" Dom asked. "You are head girl."

Delilah shook her head. "They refused to tell me."

"And McGonnagall is okay with this?"

"Daniel knows it," Delilah replied. Daniel was the head boy, a Hufflepuff. He was great, though they hardly talked about anything unrelated to head duties or schoolwork even though they practically lived together.

"I don't mind having one less common room to supervise."

Fred grinned. "I knew you were secretly a rebel."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Fred. This is so rebellious."

"Anyway," Dom cut across, "what now?"

They were about to give up, when a brunette ambled out. Dom instantly recognized her as the girl Jack had talked to in potions- his friend. So did Delilah.

"Hey Trish," Delilah smiled politely, as the brunette arched a brow. "Could you please call Jack for me? If it isn't too much trouble, of course," she said hesitantly.

The brunette- Trish- shrugged. "Okay."

James gaped at her as the girl left. "You're friends with Slytherins!"

"She's one of Jack's best friends, James. And she's nice," Delilah rolled her eyes at him.

"You think everyone is nice," Fred accused.

"I do not."

"You do."

"I-" Delilah started, but then Trish came out, followed by an annoyed looking Jack.

He glanced at them all with a bored expression, his eyes stopping ever so briefly at Dom, and then looked at Delilah. Trish stood next to him, watching them disdainfully.

"What?" He asked, sounding irritated.

"Er..we wanted to ask you about the attacks," Delilah replied pleasantly, ignoring their unwelcoming behaviour.

"Okay," Jack said impatiently, crossing his arms across his chest. "Ask."

"How did you know Lily was being attacked?"

"Cooper told me."

"Well, how did Cooper know?"

Jack shrugged. "He heard them talking about it."

"Them?"

"The Slytherins who attacked her," he rolled his eyes. "Done?"

"Not yet. Why her?"

"She's the weakest."

"Okay. Did you know about Roxy?"

Jack's eyes swivelled to Roxy who turned tomato red under his gaze. He gave her a strange look, his eyes then travelling to Dom. He remembered how they had hurt her, and it made him feel surprisingly angry. He quickly dismissed that, and answered Delilah's question.

"Yes," he replied honestly, ignoring the warning look Trish was giving him. He didn't want to get beaten up, but he wasn't going to standby and watch them beat up others either.

They all looked surprised. "You did?"

He nodded. "But only minutes before they did it."

"How?"

He looked at Trish, having a silent discussion with her. Should he continue to tell the truth? It would probably solve a lot more problems. Trish seemed to disagree, going by the look she was giving him.

"Cooper told me. He heard them," he shrugged easily, quickly looking away, avoiding eye contact.

Dom frowned. He was lying. She knew because that was exactly what Delilah did when she was lying.

"Who?" Delilah asked.

"The attackers."

"So they were planning it?"

"Yes."

Delilah paused, hesitating slightly before her next question.

"Right, so, they planned it."

"Yes."

"Why Roxy?"

"She's the weakest, after Lily and Hugo," he said easily.

Roxy stared at him, feeling more hurt than ever. He had said it. Him. Delilah gave her an apologetic look, while Grace smiled, satisfied she'd been right.

"Okay, then why not Hugo?"

"There would be more concern for a girl than a boy. They can play up the whole damsel in distress angle."

Roxy wanted to run away and never see him again. He thought she was a damsel in distress.

Dom glared at him. "We are not damsels in distress."

He snorted. "Really? What would have happened to you if I hadn't been there?"

She opened we mouth to retort, but then just huffed and looked away.

Jack smirked. "Is that all?"

"No. So they are attacking people from the Potter/Weasley family?"

"I don't know. I guess so."

"If so, then why?"

"Lilah, I honestly don't know," Jack said exasperatedly.

"But if you find out, you'll tell us?"

"Yeah. Fine. Can I go now?"

"Yeah. Yeah I guess so," Delilah said.

Jack nodded and walked to the portrait hole with Trish before turning around.

"Oh and by the way, training starts tomorrow."

"This is confusing," Delilah sighed. "Should we talk to LIly?'

"She's in her dorm," James said pulling out the Marauders map. "I think she's sleeping, her dot hasn't moved for ages. Lets talk to her tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Okay," Jack said, facing the seventh year Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins in the room of requirement. Why McGonnagall had chosen him to teach very or was beyond him. He was no expert- he just knew how to kick and punch a little better than the others did. "Get into pairs."<p>

People scuffled around for a few minutes, wearing bored expressions. They clearly weren't taking this seriously. The first years had been so much easier, he thought, probably because he'd threatened to punch them himself if they didn't do as he asked.

"Right. So your partner will hold the punching bag in place while you punch it."

They all stared at him.

"Eh.. Go!"

There were grumbles and complaints- something about being forced to wake up on a Saturday morning- and hardly any actions. He walked around, watching them all have a go, correcting them when they needed it.

He watched as his sister punched the punching bag Dominique was holding. Her fist collided noiselessly, the bag barely moving a centimetre. He looked around to see the rest of the girls having similar experiences. He sighed. So far they had accomplished nothing, and if they kept going this way, there would be no point to all of this.

"Stop!" He yelled loudly.

They stopped at once, turning to him expectantly.

"Okay. Now girls pair up with boys."

He counted people as they moved around, the grumbles and complaints returning. There was an odd number. He was just going to have to partner whoever was left.

He waited till they were about done, and then spoke.

"Girls, you have to punch the boys. Make it hurt. Boys, just stand there. Once it hurts, you can stop."

They all gave him incredulous looks.

"Um Jack..how is that fair?" Delilah finally said what they were all thinking. "Girls against boys?"

"Well if you can't even hurt your male partner, how are you going to hurt the attacker, if its a guy?"

"Fair enough," Delilah said, turning to Fred, her partner.

Jack looked around for the person without a partner, only to see her standing only a few feet away away from Delilah. Dominique.

He grinned as he walked over to her. This was going to be very, very amusing.

"Hello Dominique. No partner?" He smirked as she looked at him, annoyed.

"Obviously not."

"Why not?"

She just shrugged and looked towards her friends, glaring in their direction.

Jack frowned as he observed the pairs. Delilah had gone with Fred, and James, who he suspected would have otherwise partnered Dominique, was with Lestrange.

He was surprised James has ditched her so easily, the five of them always stuck together. Even Roxanne had a partner.

"So Lestrange joins the group and they abandon you?"

"They haven't abandoned me," she rolled her eyes, turning back to him. "Now go away."

"No can do Dominique. I'm your partner."

"No thanks."

"Too bad," he said, walking towards an empty corner.

He turned around to see she hadn't moved. He sighed and went back.

"C'mon Dominique."

"No."

"It's for your own good," he reminded her, thinking about the Slytherin' arms around her.

She must have been too, because she conceded. "Fine," she snapped, walking to the corner.

"Okay," he said, facing her. He held his palm out. "Punch me."

"This is the stupidest idea you've ever had," she said, not moving a muscle.

"Stupider than when I jumped off my broom to catch the snitch?"

Her mouth twitched.

"I thought you'd like this idea."

She raised a questioning brow.

"Now you have an excuse to punch me."

She cocked her head to one side thoughtfully. "I take it back. This is the best idea you've ever had."

Jack chuckled and held his palm out. "Okay. Do it."

Dom hesitated, suddenly feeling self conscious. She had a feeling she would somehow mess up, and he would laugh at her.

"C'mon."

She nodded and pulled her arm back, and then brought it forward, colliding with his palm.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" He smirked, not even flinching a bit.

Dom scowled. "Shut up."

"This is pointless," Grace muttered, standing stiffly against the wall.

"Just punch me Grace," James said for what he supposed was the tenth time.

"No. This is ridiculous. If I could just use my wand-"

"But you can't," James said exasperatedly. "So just punch me."

"I don't see why I can't."

James sighed, lowering his palm. He didn't think she would be punching him anytime soon.

"Okay, suppose you were disarmed-"

"That wouldn't happen," she said confidently.

"It could."

"It has never happened."

"I bet I can disarm you," he challenged.

She scrutinised him for a second, contemplating his talent at magic.

"You're on."

James stared back at her. "Fine. When it's our turn to train, we'll see. Me against you."

She shrugged easily, certain she would win. "Okay."

"You still have to punch me though." He laughed as she resumed grumbling about how inadequate muggles were in their ways.

* * *

><p>"Who knew girls were so weak?" Fred mused later, earning him a smack (which actually did hurt a bit) on the head from either side.<p>

"We are not weak," Dom said.

"We were made this way,"

Delilah agreed.

"You still are weak, through no fault of your own," James pointed out.

"How would you know, Grace didn't even punch you," Dom said, as they made their way back to the room of requirement. They had just finished dinner, and now it was time for the magical aspect of the training.

"Speaking of Grace, we're having a duelling competition," James announced, looking at Grace for confirmation. She nodded.

"You're what?"

Delilah asked looking from one to the other.

"Sweet!" Fred yelled, clapping his hand over Delilah's mouth, to prevent her from protesting.

"Wait, why?"

"Grace thinks I can't disarm her when I obviously can."

"You can't," Grace said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You seem awfully confident for someone who's about to duel the son of Harry Potter."

"You seem awfully confident for someone who has never duelled before, and will duel for the first time against the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange."

There was a silence as they all recalled that. They exchanged looks, some almost fearful, some shocked, some wary. Grace immediately regretted it.

She cleared her throat. "I didn't mean..I just meant.." She hesitated, sounding nervous was the for the first time. She wanted to explain herself, but didn't know quite how to.

"She uhh.. She is a terrible, evil person," she acknowledged quickly. "But she is still immensely powerful."

James blinked. "I forgot about that. But my dad's way more powerful than your mother," he teased, like he had been before.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the tension was broken. She owed James. She could see by the looks he was shooting the others that he was trying to convince them she wasn't evil, that she hadn't meant what she said the way they thought she had. He was on her side.

She shrugged. "Doesn't change the fact that I'm going to win."

"Okay!" Fred interjected before James could retort, exchanging surprised looks with the others. He'd never thought she would compare herself to her mother. She had sounded boastful, almost proud. He shook his head, getting rid of his treacherous thoughts. If James, Lily, uncle Harry trusted her, then so would he. He went back to his usual playful mood. "Who knew Gracie had a competitive streak?" He looked at the other three. "Bets?"

"Grace," Dom said easily as James scowled and Grace smirked. She remembered the way Grace had taken on multiple death eaters, the power that she had emitted as she did so. It was nothing compared to anything she had seen James do, though she'd never seen him fight before.

"Thanks for having so much faith in me."

"No problem."

"James," Fred said, clapping James on the back.

"Thanks mate," James grinned. "Roxy?"

Roxy frowned, looking at each of them in turn. "Grace," she said finally.

"Fred, you're my only friend," James proclaimed dramatically, slinging his arms around Fred's shoulders. "Delilah?"

"I'm not part of this," Delilah glared at them. "I think this is a very bad idea."

"Of course you do," James rolled his eyes. "But you can still choose."

"I refuse to take any part in this. This is breaking more than six school rules-"

"Lalalala can't hear you," Fred yelled, drowning her out as the rest of them laughed.

* * *

><p>"Okay, James you stand there, Grace, you stand there."<p>

"I thought you refused to take any part in this?" James reminded her, as she pushed him backwards, positioning him so he was facing Grace a few meters away.

"Well if you really are going to do this, you might as well do it properly," Delilah sighed, stepping back and evaluating the distance between them.

"Okay," she nodded, deciding the distance was right. "Bow."

They bowed, while Fred, Roxy, and Dom watched from a safe distance.

"On the count of three..one,"

They gripped their wands tightly and stared as menacingly as they could at each other.

"Two..thr-"

The door banged open. It was Jack.

His hair was all over his face, two of his shirt buttons were undone, his wand was in his hand, and his eyes, were wide with shock.

"Scorpius," he panted. "They've got Scorpius."

And then they were all running as fast as they could.

* * *

><p>He was fifteen. He'd always thought that was quite old. He'd always believed he was extremely strong, like most boys his age did.<p>

He had tried, he really had, but it hadn't been enough.

Blood ran down from cuts along his arms and legs, his broken nose, his aching head. His wand lay on the other side of the classroom, abandoned, and at that moment he couldn't help but feel that magic was useless.

Here he was, in pain, in agony, his wand just a few meters away, but he couldn't reach it. And without it, he was nothing.

His body ached. He remembered complaining that every single part of his body hurt after Quidditch, after one particularly long training session when Albus had made them run twelve laps around the Quidditch ground. There had even been push ups. He almost laughed. It was nothing compared to this.

He wondered why. He wondered what he'd done to deserve this. Thirteen Slytherins stood in front of him. He could only see their shoes, the cause of his battered nose, their legs, which had forced him to the ground, but he could hear every word they spoke.

"Stop! Master said not to kill him," one of them had yelled only a few seconds ago, stopping the other from continuing to Crucio him.

The other had obeyed, and they had all stepped away, turning their backs to him, chatting merrily amongst themselves, waiting.

They kept saying things like "how much longer?" and "he said she would be here by now".

He wondered what they meant, who she was, whether he was going to live, or whether he was just collateral damage, to be killed later. He'd always thought his father was too dramatic when he talked about the war, about the pain, the horror, the helplessness. Now, he felt like he understood. It wasn't war, but he naively thought it felt like it. He was innocent, had just been attacked for no reason, and if he died, no one would know what had happened. He couldn't even begin to imagine how it must have felt to live with the fear of this happening every single day.

"They're here," he heard someone whisper, quietly, distantly, in the background, interrupting his musings.

He felt himself drifting away. He told himself he couldn't. He needed to stay focused, to try and find a way out of this. But closing his eyes felt so much better.

It was easier to see darkness, to try and fall asleep- anything to ease the pain that constantly throbbed in both his mind and body,

The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was a flash.

And then, she was there.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Please review!**


	9. Evil

**Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.**

**-Anne Rice**

* * *

><p><em>The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was a flash.<em>

_And then, she was there._

* * *

><p>"There you are," one of them whispered. He had long, blond hair, combed back, and light, icy blue eyes which watched her parlously.<p>

Grace felt anger. Immense, intense, irrevocable anger, of the kind she had never felt before. It was strangely empowering, this anger, it made her feel like she could do anything and no one could stop her.

All she could think was that they had hurt Scorpius. Innocent Scorpius who had never caused them, or anyone, for that matter, any harm. Scorpius who was forever loyal to her, despite her sullen moods and often dismissive attitude towards him. Hurting Lily had been bad, very bad, but hurting Scorpius was on entirely another level.  
>This time, it was personal.<p>

It was almost visceral, her reaction, as her wand was out in seconds, rapidly firing spell after spell almost on its own accord.

The villain hadn't expected it, but he was quick to react, deflecting and firing spells of his own.

"Grace!" Delilah yelled over their shouts. Behind her James, Dom, Fred, Roxy and Jack stood, transfixed with the ongoing battle.  
>She could see why- Grace had this..this aura around her. She could feel it emanating from her, and as fascinating as it was to observe, she knew it would be best to stop it. The man was powerful too; he was certainly putting up a fight, but there was something about Grace that screamed danger at the moment.<p>

The death eater- or whatever he was- hadn't attacked them, which indicated he didn't necessarily want a fight. The others stood behind him, watching with the same awe-full expression her friends wore.  
>"Grace!" She tried again, louder.<br>No response. Either her voice wasn't getting through, or Grace was choosing to ignore her. She had to come up with another solution. Help Grace? It wasn't a proper duel, so it wouldn't be unfair of her to strike. She started forward, managing to attract the attention of one of the man's cronies. He saw her step forward, and pulled out his own wand in retaliation. If she helped, he would attack her. She stepped back. She didn't know how capable he was, but if he was anything like the man fighting Grace, then she didn't stand a chance.  
>"Okay," she turned to the others, who were still staring. "Plan. Now. We have to help."<br>Immediately, all eyes were on her.  
>"Right. James, try and get to Grace. Help her."<br>He was the most powerful, it made sense.  
>"Dom, Jack, and I will stop anyone who tries to stop James. Roxy, Fred, get Scorpius out of here. Take him to the hospital wing, and then get McGonnagal. Actually, get the first teacher you see. Go!"<br>They sprung into action instantly.  
>Dom, Jack and Delilah stepped forward, prompting those on the other side to do so too.<br>James dodged the flying spells, as Dom, Jack and Delilah shot down anyone who tried to come in his way.  
>Fred and Roxy rolled in between the chaos, wands held out just in case, but not used in order to attract less attention.<p>

It took James a few minutes to reach Grace, but he was soon beside her, shooting spells at the bad guy.  
>He turned to James with the evilest smile James had ever seen.<br>"Ah, Potter. I was wonderingly when you would join us. Couldn't resist could you? Just like your father," the man tutted, and James felt his anger grow. "Although," the man's cool blue eyes glinted, "your father would never help a Lestrange."  
>He laughed at the furious look on James's face, but then quickly straightened up, as a spell- Grace's- finally hit him.<br>"Two against one?" He sneered.  
>"Hardly fair, is it?"<br>He was ignored.  
>"Vey unfair, considering I don't want to fight."<br>"Then what the hell do you want?" James yelled, not stopping for an answer.  
>"Simply, to talk." The man rolled his eyes.<br>"Then talk."  
>"Put your wand down, and I will."<br>It was James's turn to laugh. "Right. Because we can trust you, right?"  
>"I came here to negotiate, not fight."<br>"Negotiate?"  
>"Not with you, Potter," the man snarled, "with Lestrange."<br>But the person in question wasn't reachable at the moment. Anything that wasn't related to fighting seemed to have been temporarily evaporated from her mind. All she could think of was the evil man, on the floor, in a condition much worse than Scorpius's.  
>James could see it in her eyes as he glanced over at her at the sound of her name. He could see the resolute emptiness in her eyes, almost as of she were a werewolf, devoid of any feeling or sense, replaced by animalistic instincts.<br>"Grace!" James shouted over the noise. He had forgotten about the rest, who were still valiantly fighting, including Fred and Roxy, who had not yet managed to get Scorpius out.  
>"Grace stop!"<br>It was probably stupid. It was probably a trick, to catch them off guard, and take them all as prisoners or kill them on the spot. But James felt slightly confused about what side they were on. If they were death eaters, why attack Grace? He understood why they had attacked Roxy and Lily- they were Potters- and even why they had attacked Scorpius- Draco was probably considered a blood traitor- but why Grace? There had been ample time to attack any one of them in the past few years, so why start now? To lure Grace in, James suspected, but why, what did they want with her? If it was to harm her, they would have targeted her, not the others. There was an ulterior motive behind all of this. His father's voice rung in his ears- the annoying, responsible, right voice in his head- that war should always be the last resort, not the first one. If this man wasn't here to fight, then they ought to at least listen to him. It was worth the risk. Perhaps it would end all the attacks, rendering Hogwarts safe again.  
>"Grace stop! We have to listen to him!" James yelled, trying to keep one eye on the villain, while simultaneously trying to keep the other one on Grace's frenzied form.<br>Of course, it was no use, no matter how loud he shouted, she appeared to be deaf at the moment.  
>James quickly looked over to where Scorpius was being helped up by Fred and Roxy, who had finally defeated the two large men who now lay petrified on the floor in a heap beside them.<br>He stepped behind Grace, using her as a shield, and then turned around to face the three of them.  
>"Accio Scorpius!"<br>Scorpius nearly flew into him, but James managed to catch hold of his shoulders before he did. He steadied the newly conscious boy, who was looking at him with a slightly dazed expression.  
>"Wake up!" He yelled into Scorpius's face. Scorpius obliged, blinking rapidly as he clearly saw the scene around him.<br>"What-"  
>"Make her stop," James commanded, pointing to where Grace was still fiercely fighting the blonde man, who was deflecting nearly every spell, as well as occasionally yelling for her to stop and listen.<br>Scorpius inconspicuously trailed behind James as the older boy deflected the spells threatening to hit them until they reached Grace.  
>"Grace!" Scorpius yelled. "Stop it!"<br>No reaction. He tried again. Still nothing.  
>He took a deep breath and steadied himself, before stepping in front of Grace, and then bringing her down with him while James continued to duel with the man. He snatched her wand out of her hands as she lay on the floor in shock. Muggle fighting was clearly not her area of expertise.<br>She started getting back up furiously, fumbling for her wand, before realizing it was Scorpius who was on top her.  
>"Scorpius," She said in shock.<br>"Listen to him Grace. Please," he begged. "This was all to talk to you, and if you don't listen, they won't stop. Please Grace," he said, before she could cut across.  
>She had the face on, the- I'm thinking logically and deeply about all of this, considering all the possibilities for the appropriate solution- face and so Scorpius got off her and helped her up, knowing she would realize he was right.<br>"James!" He yelled.  
>"She stopped. I'll stop if you and your friends put your wand down," James said.<br>The man nodded and slowly brought his arm down to his side, before turning to his teammates and ordering them to do the same.  
>Three of them were now unconscious, while the other three stood still, immediately obeying the leader's orders.<br>"Talk," Grace snapped, much to the amusement of the leader.  
>James stood firmly behind Grace and was followed by the others, although they each still kept a watchful eye on the men.<br>"Alone, Lestrange," the man said cooly.  
>"No," both James and Scorpius said at the same time while Grace hesitated.<br>"Trust me, Lestrange, you won't want them hearing what I've got to say."  
>"Whatever you have to say, either say it here or don't say it at all," James spoke firmly, as beside him the others nodded in agreement.<br>Grace ignored him, and stared at the man opposite her, until she couldn't see him, but a large room, snakes, wands, muggle weapons made of metal- and a man on a throne, face hidden by darkness, commanding a room of hundreds. The only part of him she could see were his eyes. They were red.  
>As quickly as she had entered, she was forced out.<br>The man smirked evilly. "See what you need to see?"  
>She had. Whoever these people were- they were dangerous. And not regular house-thief dangerous, or even snatcher dangerous. No, they were much, much worse. It was an army, a dictatorship, and the man with those piercing blood red eyes.. He reminded her of..well..<br>She nodded and faced the others. "Out."  
>"What the hell!" James yelled, while Scorpius made similar protests and the others gapped in confusion.<br>"Go," she said, as coldly as she could.  
>"No bloody way," James snapped, his calm, Harry-like demeanor now resembling Ginny and her wrath.<br>"You will," she commanded cooly.  
>She turned to the others. "Out. Now."<br>When they didn't move, she raised her wand, and leviosa-ed all of them out, barring James who she knew would put up a hard fight.  
>"Grace! Stop it!" Scorpius yelled as he was forced out of the room. He tried to jump down, or cast a shield, as did the others, but it was too late, and they were less than half as powerful as Grace, not that either party knew it.<br>"James," she looked at him, begging with her eyes. "Please."  
>Begging, another first.<br>"No," he said firmly, squaring up to her, trying to work out why she was suddenly so eager to speak with the man.  
>She took a deep breath.<br>"Trust me."  
>She looked into his eyes, and tried to show him- tried somehow to project the images she had seen- how important it was for him to leave the room.<br>She didn't know whether he had seen something, or whether he had agreed to trust her, as he had told her to many times before (she till didn't), because that's what "friends" did, but he agreed to leave the room.  
>"I'll be outside," he said angrily, and glaring at the man once last time, slowly walked out, as if hoping to catch a word or two.<br>The man waited till James had left, before closing the door with his wand and locking it shut.  
>Grace gripped her wand tightly, ready to flee if required.<br>The man cast a silencing spell around the two of them. It must be something of extreme importance, Grace guessed, as even his own men weren't listening in.  
>"Grace Lestrange," the man smirked.<br>"Yes."  
>"Your parents?"<br>She frowned. Was it not something known by now? Obvious?  
>"Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange."<br>This made the man chuckle.  
>Asking would give him satisfaction, so she kept her mouth shut and her expression blank.<br>"You know of Voldemort?"  
>"Of course," she said, wondering who didn't know of him.<br>"And death eaters?"  
>"Yes," she said, thinking where this was going. "Are you one of them?"<br>The man laughed and shook his head.  
>"No, but we are like them."<br>She paused, considering her words carefully as he eyes her amusedly.  
>"What are you called?"<br>He stared at her for a second, and Grace thought she caught a flicker of fear in his eyes, before he asked, "Would you like to join?"  
>She blinked.<p>

And then she just stood there, mind reeling with information.

"Join?" She whispered incredulously.  
>"Yes," he said simply, "join."<br>"Join. Join your death eaters?" She stared at him in shock. This was what it had all been for. To ask her to join. She frowned.  
>"Haven't you already got your answer?" She said, referring to how she and first been sorted into Gryffindor, and then defended all those attacked instead of helping the Slytherins.<br>"You have made your position quite clear, but take this as an invitation to reconsider."  
>She opened her mouth to say no, but then closed it as he cut across.<br>"Believe me, it would make your life a lot easier."

An image if the red-eyed man flashed before her eyes.  
>She nodded. "I will consider it."<br>"I will wait for your answer," the man replied, a genuine smile taking over his face.  
>"How will I find you?"<br>"Use your mind," the man said.  
>Then he lifted the silencing spell, and without a word, they all apparated.<p>

* * *

><p>"What happened? What happened? Are you okay?"<br>They were all outside, ears to the door, angered by the only sound they could hear being the other men, who were just as clueless and had taken to arguing about which pub to go to after instead.  
>Grace ignored them all, heading straight for the room of requirement.<br>They followed her.  
>She put a disillusionment charm on herself.<br>"Grace don't you dare!"  
>She heard Delilah shout after her, as she doubled up to the room.<br>"We have the marauder's map!"  
>Fred yelled, while Scorpius called her name, and James swore.<br>It didn't matter. Once she was in the room of requirement, she would make it so they couldn't enter.  
>Once inside, she paced back and forth, for once, utterly confused and scared.<br>She didn't want to join, of course she didn't, but she couldn't very well say no.  
>She remembered the man's words- "Believe me, it would make your life a lot easier."<br>She had no doubt it would. They wanted her to join because she was a Lestrange. It made sense. But if she said no? Would they continue with the attacks, only this time, killing them instead of maiming?  
>And whoever this man was- he had to be found. This had to be stopped. But how?<br>Help, she found herself thinking, I need help.  
>And then the door opened, and help walked in.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the late chapter, I was super busy. From now on, I'll post one or two every week. Hope you liked it. Please review<strong>.


	10. Secret societies

**The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.**

**- Ralph Waldo Emerson **

* * *

><p>"Er..hi," Jack said awkwardly, silently cursing himself for agreeing, even proposing, that he do the job. But he had a feeling that if anyone was going to get through to Grace, it was more likely to be him, say then some other poor chap who would probably do something stupid, like assume she had a sense of humor or just get plain scared. As expected, Grace stared blankly back at him, presumably trying to work out why in the world he was standing there, staring at her.<p>

"I'm Jack Wood," he announced, stepping further into the room to lean awkwardly on the wall opposite her.

"I know," Grace deadpanned.

Jack found that he was at a loss for words. "Right. Well, we have to talk."

She gave him a look of confusion, but nodded all the same.

" Alright," she said formally, "what about?"

Jack sighed and grabbed a chair, pulling it to his position next to the wall. He sat and leaned back, prayed to the heavens above, and then sighed again.

"It's a long story."

"Are you telling me," Grace said slowly, fixing him with an incredulous look, "that you are part of some kind of secret club that spies on the evil Slytherins?"

"Yes," Jack said, pleased he had finally finished his long winded explanation. "That's exactly what I'm telling you."

"Well," Grace pondered, looking unimpressed, "you're rather bad at it, aren't you?"

"We are," Jack agreed, "which is why we need your help. Our "secret club" consists really just of a few friends of mine and me, and we're absolute rubbish at it. We usually find out about an attack during or after it has happened."

"But if you attend their meetings, don't you know their plans?"

"They're complicated. Only the most trusted, the ones in the inner circle really know what's going on. The rest of us have to keep guessing, try to listen in. But if you join," Jack said, looking determinedly at her, "they may just let you in."

"I doubt it would work," Grace frowned. "They call me traitor."

"That's exactly why it will work," Jack explained. "You can claim you're spying for them. Show some authority. You're Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter, that's got to mean something to them. Accuse them of accusing you! You can be like Snape, a double crosser."

He looked at her hopefully, but she remained unconvinced.

"Why do you trust me?" She questioned quietly, observing every flicker of emotion on his face.

"You helped save Lily and Scorpius, and if you had wanted to do something, you would have done it by now. You've been here long enough. And you haven't given any sign that you might be in cahoots with the bad guys."

Grace glared at him. "You've been spying on me."

Jack shrugged. "Only a little. And for a good cause. So?"

Grace remained silent for a few minutes, getting up and pacing up and down the room before turning to him.

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"But first I have to meet your friends. We need a proper plan. And," she said, staring sternly at him. "I must be the leader."

Jack grinned. "Thought you'd never ask."

"Just like that? You agreed to her being leader just like that?"

Dom wondered what in the hell they were talking about. Leader of what? They were in potions again, and Jack was whispering with his mates just a few feet away from where she sat, writing comments on the perfect portion he had made. Class was quieter than usual, as even James was whispering, still trying to get something out of Grace. She had come back in an unusually cheerful mood from the room of requirement, especially considering the circumstances. Then, she had not uttered a single word, but had lain in bed scribbling in a notebook with a big smile plastered on her face.

"What is wrong with her?" Roxy had asked, voicing what they were all thinking as Delilah had tried to convince her to speak.

But she hadn't revealed a thing.

And it didn't look like James would be very successful either, judging from the silencing spell that was now on him.

"Well what was I supposed to say? And it's not like any of us are any good at it!"

Dom zoned back in the conversation to Jack angrily retorting to Hayes.

"She's a Lestrange Jack, a Lestrange!" Hayes replied exasperatedly, her voice rising much above a whisper.

Lestrange? Grace? A leader? What was going on? Dom subtly edged closer to them, as Cabot timidly cut in, telling them to keep their voices down.

"What were you thinking!" Hayes whispered angrily, fire positively burning in her eyes.

"Oh calm down will you!" Jack rolled his eyes. "She's on our side."

"Really Jack? Really? How the hell can you be so sure? What is she's actually on their side? What if you've just made it a thousand times easier for her? Huh? What then?"

"She isn't-"

"You don't know that Jack! You don't know anything! You're going on blind faith here! And blind faith on a Lestrange, of all people. What were you-"

"Well it's not like you have a better idea!"

"Any thing is better than-"

"No-"

"Guys!" Both Cabot and McKinnon, yelled, interrupting their friends and causing the whole class to look at them in the process.

"Sorry," Cabot muttered sheepishly, "just go on with..whatever."

As the class began chattering again Cabot and McKinnon tried steering their friends away from an argument.

"I think Jack is right," Cabot confessed timidly, while McKinnon nodded along.

Hayes glared at them. "Well, I think you're all idiots."

Jack grinned triumphantly, as Trish stomped away, muttering curses under her breath.

Dom waited for a further discussion, or even any other mentions of Grace, but the nothing more was said on the topic.

"You're sure they said Lestrange?" Delilah asked for the tenth time, her mind unable to comprehend a connection forming between her brother and Grace.

"Yes, Delilah," Dom said, annoyed with the dubious looks her friends were casting her. "Yes, I am completely, one hundred percent sure. And if you ask me one more time-"

"Maybe he meant some other Grace?" Fred suggested with a frown. He didn't really think so, but then he didn't really think Jack was associating with Grace either.

"Yes, Fred. Totally. And maybe he meant some other Lestrange too!" Dom rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Fred held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, calm down. I was just messing around."

"Maybe we should just ask her?" James suggested, looking from Dom to Delilah as they all sat around their usual table in the corner of the common room. The three of them didn't realize it, but they often ignored the other two, unconsciously deeming them as less sensible and practical.

Dom snorted. "Yeah, right, I'm sure she'll tell us."

"No, I think we should," Delilah agreed. "Whether or not she'll tell us, she'll know that we know, and Jack will know, and maybe they'll decide to tell us then, since we already kind of know."

"I don't think so," Dom argued, shaking her head, "whatever this is, it's top secret. I bet they'll feed us a bunch of lies, or just be their regular infuriating selves and act like they have no idea what's going on. Besides, what are we supposed to say? That I overheard Jack said something about Grace being the leader in potions? It's too vague."

"I think you should spy on them some more," Fred piped up. "Hey, maybe we all could!"

"That would be a great idea if we could get into the room of requirement," James grumbled. "I doubt they'll meet anywhere else."

"Grace!" Scorpius grinned as he saw her walk over to his bed. He had a sprained wrist and a sprained ankle, and bruises and cuts all over his body. He marveled at the fact that none of this had seemed to matter when he had been trying to persuade Grace to stop or protesting when she moved him out. He hadn't realized it hurt until much after. He felt a new kind of strength in him. He felt as though he could do, and live through anything now. It was stupid, he knew, because his actions had in no way been heroic, but he still felt somewhat of a hero.

"How are you?" She asked, briefly returning his smile.

"Fine, it's nothing, really. But mum and dad say they're coming down here anyways," he rolled his eyes. His parents mollycoddled him way too much.

"Nothing? You're covered in bruises and you've got sprained limbs. It's definitely something."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off. "So what's new with you?"

Grace shrugged, an amused look on her face. For once there was actually something new with her, but she couldn't tell him. Jack had heavily emphasized, as she left the room, that no one, not a soul, not even Scorpius could be told of their secret spying club. They needed to come up with a better name, she decided.

She had no idea why she was so excited. Perhaps it was that for once in her life, she felt like she was part of something big, something important, something that mattered.

She had never been the happy-go-lucky type. Her mind was always full of thoughts about her existence and who she was, and, although she would never admit it, how to redeem herself. Because although she knew she hadn't hurt a hair on an innocent persons body, she still felt as though just being the descendent of such horrible human beings meant she deserved some kind of punishment. Or at least, that she should do some good in the world, to make up for their sins. She was never religious, but this made sense to her. And it gave her a purpose in life. So far she had simply existed, doing pretty much whatever she wished, alone in a mansion she barely stepped out of. Even here, all she did was attend classes, compete homework, and listen to her peers speak. It occurred to her, at least once a day, that her existence didn't matter. She was either a burden, or someone to be feared of, or just nobody at all. If she died, or had simply never come into existence, it wouldn't have made the slightest difference to anybody, though her aunt, Astoria and Draco frequently assured her it would. Scorpius didn't know of the dark thoughts that plagued her. He was too childlike, too innocent, too happy to know, or to understand. But that was what she valued in him. His ability to make her forget the tragedies of her life, to transport her, for a brief period of time, almost into another world, where life was full of simple pleasures, and the only thing that mattered was having fun. He didn't know he did it, but it was the only thing that made her feel like she mattered. Until now.

She has to make a difference. This was her golden opportunity. She had to infiltrate, and then bring the whole system down. She would do it. She would.

As usual, her unenthusiastic response did not mar his chirpiness, and he continued tell her about anything and everything.


End file.
